Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0008953, Fri, 21 Nov 2003 16:31:59 -0800

Subject
Fw: Fw: Cast of Ada
Date
Body
EDNOTE. We thank the formidable Alexey Sklyarenko who has not only read ADA
many times but has translated it into Russian. The problem with "Nevada" as
a pronuncation cue is that Americans pronounce the stressed A as either/or
the A in father or the A in attic.I grew up in Indiana where latter was
standard; as a long-time Californian, I now say it like father. My desk
dictionary give the Indiana form first, followed by the Spanish-influenced
"Ah" form.

----- Original Message -----
From: "alex" <sklyarenko@users.mns.ru>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (194
lines) ------------------
> Dear Dane Gill,
>
> It rhymes with Nevada, but, I understand, only in Russian. To pronounce
this
> name correctly, one should accept Marina's way of pronouncing it (of the
> three tongues she knows, Marina speaks only Russian without accent). This
> way is indicated in chapter five, Part One:
>
> "Ada? (She pronounced it in the Russian way with two deep, dark 'a's,
making
> it sound rather like 'ardor.')"
>
> So, 'Ada' is almost a homophone of 'ardor' (for that very reason this word
> is present in the book's title) and an exact homophone of the Russian word
> for 'hell' in genitive ('ada').
>
> By the way, I hope to demonstrate soon how she (Ada) looks. Or, at least,
> how I think she would look at sixteen.
>
> sincerely, Alexey

> Alexey
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 8:00 PM
> Subject: Fw: Cast of Ada
>
>
> > EDNOTE. As to the first question: stress on the first syllable which
> > pronounced as the "A" in fAther. In normal speech the second
(unstressed)
> > "A" would be pronounced as the "e" in "father," i.e. as a "schwa."
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
> > >
> > > ---------------- Message requiring your approval (123
> > lines) ------------------
> > > Jansy (and List)
> > > THANK YOU sooooooo much. A very straight forward answer to my
question,
> > much
> > > appreciated. As far as discussing Ada goes I could spend the rest of
my
> > > life....Is there anything in the english language as complex and yet
so
> > > beautiful?
> > > I just had a few more questions (I've searched the archives and Boyd
to
> no
> > > avail...though there's a good chance I missed something)
> > > 1) I've been pronouncing it AYDAH...but apparently it rhymes with
Nevada
> > as
> > > in AHDAH...but then there's the part about the Russian pronounciation
> > > ARDAR.....plus I've read about it sounding New England like as in
(once
> > > again) AHDAH. Could someone clarify?
> > > 2) I understand Ada to be VN's "favourite", is this true? (As a side
> note
> > > what was Vera Nabokov's, if she had one? I read that DN's was Pale
Fire
> so
> > > it is not taboo to ask such trivial questions)
> > > 3)I've read that (in reviews, etc) that many feel that Ada is simply
> "over
> > > the top". I disagree and feel that Ada is the "top"...comments?
> > > Dane Gill
> > >
> > > >From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> > > >Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > >To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > >Subject: Fw: Fw: Cast of Ada
> > > >Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 17:33:09 -0800
> > > >
> > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > >From: "Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello" <jansy@aetern.us>
> > > > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (71
> > > >lines) ------------------
> > > > > Hello, Dane Gill and List
> > > > >
> > > > > ( If I had my hands in a cast I wouldnб╢t be writing about the
> > Cast
> > > >of
> > > > > Ada. It would be less risky for me, but Iб╢m curious to see what
> > happens
> > > >if
> > > > > we keep this ball of Adaб╢s lineage rolling ..)
> > > > >
> > > > > Iб╢ve always been fascinated by Blanche, the Cinderella
> dustlady,
> > > >the
> > > > > "Ashette" that looses her shoes or delves in pumpkins ( this
also
> > > >happens
> > > > > in Ada! ) whose finger draws figures along a dusty globe.
> > > > > Blanche has two other sisters, one of them is called Rose and
> the
> > > >other
> > > > > sometimes dresses up like a messenger boy, as in many
Shakespeareб╢s
> > > >plays
> > > > > ( but only Twelfth Night comes to my mind now and Viola).
> > > > > She is more or less seventeen when she appears as a house-maid
> in
> > > >Ardis,
> > > > > but soon she becomes more and more ethereal or shadowy as if she
> were
> > a
> > > > > mythical figure ( one of the three muses, three witches, three
> > "parques"
> > > >?)
> > > > > or even a phantom expression of Adaб╢s.
> > > > > Demon seems to have the hots for every female in the novel and
> > they
> > > > > become younger and younger ashe grows older.
> > > > > Van seems to be equally ardent but he is also described as
very
> > > >potent
> > > > > and sterile ( except, perhaps, for Cordullaб╢s pregnancy ). There
> is
> > a
> > > > > sentence in which Van seems to consider that he and his father
share
> > > >this
> > > > > "late" sterility ..
> > > > > I was told that "eunuchs" in charge of harems are allowed
> sexual
> > > > > intercourse with the sultanб╢s wives but are unable to impregnate
> > them.
> > > >I
> > > > > donб╢t think VN was considering Van in such a role at Ericб╢s
> > > > > intercontinental harem houses or towards his fatherб╢s
mistresses...
> > > > > I rather think that in "Ada" VN is describing an ideal
romantic
> > > > > relationship, such as Tristan and Isoldaб╢s, by Vanб╢s love and
> > > >faithful
> > > > > dedication to his Ada.
> > > > > Ada is a caleidoscopic book and as colored. My comments aim
> > simply
> > > >to
> > > > > pick up the thread of your question and see where it will lead us
> to.
> > > > > Jansy
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> > > > > To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 9:25 PM
> > > > > Subject: Fw: Cast of Ada
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
> > > > > > .
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (18
> > > > > > lines) ------------------
> > > > > > > Greetings
> > > > > > > Just to clear things up a little but for me, could someone
> please
> > > > > explain
> > > > > > > some of the characters in Ada please:
> > > > > > > Blanche - who exactly is she, how old is she?
> > > > > > > Bout - an "old frenchen", but how old? And what's the name of
> his
> > > >son?
> > > > > > > Does Demon have the "hots" for every female in the novel?
(Ada,
> > > >Lucette,
> > > > > > > Blanche...etc)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I know that this may sound a little obvious to some people,
but
> I
> > > >have
> > > > > > > always had trouble with Ada and now that I've finally "got"
most
> > of
> > > >what
> > > > > > > confused me before (with much more to solve) this has me
> confused
> > > >once
> > > > > > > again.
> > > > > > > Thank you, Dane Gill
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> _________________________________________________________________
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