Subject
Re: VN on allegory?
Date
Body
I didn't mean to imply that the statements were identical. That said,
the remarks in Strong Opinions tend to be quite thoughtful. In any
event, they're both a little beside the point of "allegory as a
literary mode" (as Nabokov is clearly not thinking of works like the
Divine Comedy or the Faerie Queene).
Leland de la Durantaye
Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of English
Department of English
Harvard University
Barker Center
12 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
phone: (617) 496 4904
fax: (617) 496 8737
deladur@fas.harvard.edu
On Nov 24, 2008, at 4:01 PM, james studdard wrote:
> Leland: These two references to allegory was made in entirely two
> different settings. The "ignore allegory" was proposed in an
> interview, while "detest symbols, etc." was uttered in a thoughtful
> afterword to Lolita. Context might have every thing to do with the
> admonition. Just a thought.
>
> From: Leland de la Durantaye <deladur@FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 2:40:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] VN on allegory?
>
> A few places spring to mind. One is Strong Opinions where he says
> to "Ignore allegories" (66). The afterword to Lolita has "I detest
> symbols and allegories." In Brian Boyd's biography there is a
> letter quoted concerning Invitation where he says something similar
> (Russian Years, 419). I give a little (incomplete) list of such
> remarks in Style is Matter (115 ff.).
>
> Best,
> Leland
>
>
>
> Leland de la Durantaye
> Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of English
> Department of English
> Harvard University
> Barker Center
> 12 Quincy Street
> Cambridge, MA 02138
> phone: (617) 496 4904
> fax: (617) 496 8737
> deladur@fas.harvard.edu
>
>
>
> On Nov 20, 2008, at 10:17 PM, R S Gwynn wrote:
>
>> I recall reading some dismissive remarks that VN made about
>> allegory as a literary mode, but I can't recall where. Does anyone
>> remember where this was? Probably in the Lectures on Literature,
>> but I just can't remember in what context he said these remarks.
>> 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.
>>
>
> 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.
>
>
> 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.
>
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/
the remarks in Strong Opinions tend to be quite thoughtful. In any
event, they're both a little beside the point of "allegory as a
literary mode" (as Nabokov is clearly not thinking of works like the
Divine Comedy or the Faerie Queene).
Leland de la Durantaye
Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of English
Department of English
Harvard University
Barker Center
12 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
phone: (617) 496 4904
fax: (617) 496 8737
deladur@fas.harvard.edu
On Nov 24, 2008, at 4:01 PM, james studdard wrote:
> Leland: These two references to allegory was made in entirely two
> different settings. The "ignore allegory" was proposed in an
> interview, while "detest symbols, etc." was uttered in a thoughtful
> afterword to Lolita. Context might have every thing to do with the
> admonition. Just a thought.
>
> From: Leland de la Durantaye <deladur@FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
> To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 2:40:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] VN on allegory?
>
> A few places spring to mind. One is Strong Opinions where he says
> to "Ignore allegories" (66). The afterword to Lolita has "I detest
> symbols and allegories." In Brian Boyd's biography there is a
> letter quoted concerning Invitation where he says something similar
> (Russian Years, 419). I give a little (incomplete) list of such
> remarks in Style is Matter (115 ff.).
>
> Best,
> Leland
>
>
>
> Leland de la Durantaye
> Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of English
> Department of English
> Harvard University
> Barker Center
> 12 Quincy Street
> Cambridge, MA 02138
> phone: (617) 496 4904
> fax: (617) 496 8737
> deladur@fas.harvard.edu
>
>
>
> On Nov 20, 2008, at 10:17 PM, R S Gwynn wrote:
>
>> I recall reading some dismissive remarks that VN made about
>> allegory as a literary mode, but I can't recall where. Does anyone
>> remember where this was? Probably in the Lectures on Literature,
>> but I just can't remember in what context he said these remarks.
>> 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.
>>
>
> 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.
>
>
> 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.
>
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/