Dear List,
 
In a former posting I expressed my puzzlement with J.Bowen's query because, at first, I couldn't imagine VN making a spiteful reference to Alexander von Humboldt, as I felt might have been suggested when he wrote: "I recently read about Alexander von Humboldt, the German explorer thought to be a homosexual pederast. His indiscretions are referenced briefly in Garcia Marquez's The General in his Labyrinth, beginning p. 96 in my hardcover, "the shameless pederasty of Baron Alexander von Humboldt." I am not terribly well versed in Nabokov scholarship, but I wonder out of curiosity if this correlation had not been suggested as an influence for the name (and yet another poke at homosexuals.)". Besides, I found no clear mention to Humboldt in "Lolita" ( & the similarity of sounds for "Humbert" and "Humboldt" didn't warrant such a link).
 
Nevertheless, I was also surprised by encountering a rude indication of AH's indiscretions apparently endorsed by the pen of García Márquez, an author who had already shown a respectful admiration for Humboldt.
I got a copy of  "El General en su Laberinto"(Editorial Sudamericana, 2008). From the text, on pages 101/103,  I learned that General Bolívar was travelling by boat when he rescued a German who'd been stranded because he had beaten one of its rowers with a stick. The group soon discovered that this guy's fabulations were not to be trusted, although his stories were amusing enough - until he began to tell malicious tales about Baron von Humboldt. Bolívar immediately decided to eject the newcomer from his boat. Therefore when, in the afternoon, a canoe bearing mail approached, he made arrangements to have the guy sent back to Nare.  ( 'We must return him to the sand-reef'...'Would this s.o.b have been a single strand of Humboldt's hair'). In the Spanish original: "Desde el principio le había parecido un farsante simpático, pero cambió cuando el tudesco empezó a contar chistes indecentes sobre la pederastia vergonzante del barón Alexander von Humboldt. 'Debimos dejarlo otra vez en el playón'. [...] Ya quisiera ese coño de madre ser una hebra del cabello de Humboldt."
 
In conclusion, I think it is impossible that Nabokov could have been inspired by A.von Humboldt when he chose the name Humbert Humbert for his character and planning "to poke at homosexuals."
Search the archive Contact the Editors Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"
Visit Zembla View Nabokv-L Policies Manage subscription options

All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.