Subject
Speculating about vs. assuming VN's knowledge, interest,
or intentions
or intentions
From
Date
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Jansy said:
"I prefer to rely mainly in the textbooks VN himself consulted ( whenever it
is possible to learn which) when I try to picture what he intended to
express ( and did express) in his fiction.
From the ongoing debates about neuroanatomy and multiple personality
disordes as seen in "Pale Fire" I realize I'm once again part of a minority.
But this is my vote."
Jansy, I actually can't imagine anyone disagreeing with your view above. Of
course we should try to find out what Nabokov knew. That does not, however,
mean that we can't first speculate, then move on to the business of proving
the hypothesis. The multiple personality debate is for me a good example of
an interesting theory that has enough going for it that we may move beyond
the text to an investigation of VN's knowledge and interest in the topic.
Stephen Blackwell told us of his interest in Psychical Research Today, one
relevant portion of which dwells extensively on "secondary personalities" as
a solution to what appear at first to be people channeling the dead. I also
suspect that VN encountered Ansel Bourne here, a man who suffered from
blackouts when he was younger, then suddenly, at the age of 61, lost his
identity and "wandered off into a distant town." I would now like to know
if Nabokov investigated other accounts of Bourne, including very prominent
ones in works by William James and Richard Hodgson.
VN's knowledge of musical counterpoint must also submit to the test of what
Nabokov might have known. Webster's 2nd gives a very nice synopsis of Fux's
ideas on counterpoint, but it neither mentions Fux nor his Gradus ad
Parnassum. So this is a problem for the reasons you have stated. Until we
have positive evidence, we can't assume VN's knowledge, interest or
intentions.
Matthew Roth
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"I prefer to rely mainly in the textbooks VN himself consulted ( whenever it
is possible to learn which) when I try to picture what he intended to
express ( and did express) in his fiction.
From the ongoing debates about neuroanatomy and multiple personality
disordes as seen in "Pale Fire" I realize I'm once again part of a minority.
But this is my vote."
Jansy, I actually can't imagine anyone disagreeing with your view above. Of
course we should try to find out what Nabokov knew. That does not, however,
mean that we can't first speculate, then move on to the business of proving
the hypothesis. The multiple personality debate is for me a good example of
an interesting theory that has enough going for it that we may move beyond
the text to an investigation of VN's knowledge and interest in the topic.
Stephen Blackwell told us of his interest in Psychical Research Today, one
relevant portion of which dwells extensively on "secondary personalities" as
a solution to what appear at first to be people channeling the dead. I also
suspect that VN encountered Ansel Bourne here, a man who suffered from
blackouts when he was younger, then suddenly, at the age of 61, lost his
identity and "wandered off into a distant town." I would now like to know
if Nabokov investigated other accounts of Bourne, including very prominent
ones in works by William James and Richard Hodgson.
VN's knowledge of musical counterpoint must also submit to the test of what
Nabokov might have known. Webster's 2nd gives a very nice synopsis of Fux's
ideas on counterpoint, but it neither mentions Fux nor his Gradus ad
Parnassum. So this is a problem for the reasons you have stated. Until we
have positive evidence, we can't assume VN's knowledge, interest or
intentions.
Matthew Roth
Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
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