Subject
Ron Rosenbaum reply re Nabokov's LAURA
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Date
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To: Vladimir Nabokov forum
Reply to jay Livingston's post
Perhaps readers of this message might be puzzled,
since Mr. Livingston does not post a link to my
(second) article <www.observer.com> and thus the
context from which he draw the alleged "rosebud"
quote.
Especially since the (conditional) remark I make
is based on Dmitiri Nabokov's characterization of
<Laura> as an incomplete version of what might have
been "Father' s most brilliant novel, the most
concentrated distillation of his creativity..."
But I suppose this would not be of any interest
to someone who feels further knowledge of Nabokov is
surperfluous to him..
Ron Rosenbaum
--- "Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu> wrote:
>
>
> ----- Forwarded message from
> livingstonj@mail.montclair.edu -----
> Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 06:41:49 -0500
> From: Jay Livingston
> <livingstonj@mail.montclair.edu>
> Reply-To: Jay Livingston
> <livingstonj@mail.montclair.edu>
> Subject: Re: Ron Rosenbaum re Nabokov's LAURA
> (continued)
> To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
>
> Ron Rosenbaum wrote (in The Observer): "it was a
> document that might
> provide both clues to the final aesthetic direction
> of the greatest
> writer of the past century--and a new perspective
> from which to look at
> his astonishing, puzzling, endlessly rewarding past
> work."
>
> When this story first appeared on the list, I sent a
> one-word message
> which the moderator did not post. The word was
> "Rosebud," a word which
> here means (to use a Lemony locution) that people
> might be exaggerating
> the importance of a single, short work. Near the
> end of "Citizen Kane,"
> a reporter says, "If you could have found out what
> rosebud meant I bet
> that would've explained everything." But the
> character named Thompson,
> who has been skeptical of this idea since the first
> reel, says, in part,
> "I don't think any word can explain a man's life.
> No, I guess rosebud is
> just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle... a missing piece."
>
>
> Jay Livingston
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
>
---------------------------------
Ron Rosenbaum wrote (in The Observer): "it wasa
document that might provide both cluesto the final
aesthetic direction of the greatest writer of the
pastcenturyand a new perspective from which to look
at his astonishing,puzzling, endlessly rewarding past
work."
When this story firstappeared on the list, I sent a
one-word message which the moderator didnot post. The
word was "Rosebud," a word which here means (to use
aLemony locution) that people might be exaggerating
the importance of asingle, short work. Near the end
of "Citizen Kane," a reporter says, "If you could
havefound out what rosebud meant I bet that would've
explainedeverything." But the character named
Thompson, who has been skepticalof this idea since the
first reel, says, in part, "I don't think anyword can
explain a man's life. No, I guess rosebud is just a
piece in ajigsaw puzzle... a missing piece."
Jay Livingston
----- End forwarded message -----