Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0004936, Fri, 24 Mar 2000 09:34:51 -0800

Subject
Nabokov's favorite stories
Date
Body
From: ESAMPSON <esampson@post.harvard.edu>

From: Earl Sampson <esampson@post.harvard.edu>

"D. Barton Johnson" wrote:

EDITOR's NOTE: VN indicated several stories that he especially liked in
an article entitled "Inspiration" that appeared in the old _Saturday
Review_.
Perhaps someone has it at hand?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Camille Scaysbrook <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
> lines) ------------------


> >I've heard that Nabokov was a fan of JD Salinger and have often
wondered if Salinger was a fan of Nabokov too. After all, they share many
themes - observe for example the characters of Sebastian Knight and
Seymour Glass -and a self-referential pre-postmodernist attitude to their
fiction.

P.S. I don't suppose anyone knows what exact stories were Nabokov''s
favourites?
-------------------------------------------
Earl Sampson replies:

I happened to have the Saturday Review with the "Inspiration" article on
my desk. The stories he singles out there (found in various anthologies sent
him by the publishers) are:

John Cheever, "The Country Husband"
John Updike, "The Happiest I've Ever Been"
J.D. Salinger, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish"
Herbert Gold, "Death in Miami Beach"
John Barth, "Lost in the Funhouse"
Delmore Schwartz, "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities"