Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] [NABOKOV-L] Michael Maar's "Speak,Nabokov"

From: "Klop, Philip" <p.klop@students.uu.nl>

Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010 01:51:42 +0200

To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@listserv.ucsb.edu>

Die Schöne Böse Welt refers to the German expression Die große böse Welt which means something akin to "The big and dangerous world" or "The big and evil world". The expression stems from children's literature and is used when a small child is exposed to the overwhelmingly big outside world; thus stressing some sort of clash between the small, good child in his safe home and the big, evil and dangerous world awaiting him outside.

- Philip Klop


2010/7/10 Jansy <jansy@aetern.us>

Ross Benjamin won an important award as the translator of Michael Maar's original book about Nabokov. I wonder, though, if he is not being considered more as Maar's ghost-writer into English for the world of American readers and critics? 

The Verso edition acknowledges the following:

                  This edition was first published by Verso 2009.

                               (c) Verso 2009

                        Translation Ross Benjamin (c)2009.
First published as Solus Rex: Die Schöne Böse Welt des Vladimir Nabokov.

                              Berlin Verlag 2007.  
                         All rights reserved

How many English readers are informed that the title of Maar's book is "Solus Rex: The Beautiful Malevolent World of Vladimir Nabokov" ? (my translation of it is controversial: what's the intended meaning of "Böse"? Angry?) 

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