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Michael Glynn responds to Boyd RESPONDS RE "Pale Fire"
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----- Forwarded message from michael.glynn@btinternet.com -----
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2005 10:36:07 -0000
From: michael glynn <michael.glynn@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: michael glynn <michael.glynn@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: bOYD RESPONDS TO michael glynn RE poem "Pale Fire"
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Dear Sir
Brian Boyd remarks that:
1) "It is a biological, psychological and social fact that looks matter."
- Agreed. Absolutely. And I too am aware of a wealth of supporting empirical
evidence. However, I personally doubt that Nabokov's novel was informed by his
desire to promote biological, psychological and social facts of any kind. The
forum doesn't need me to rehearse Nabokov's views on received opinion,
orthodoxies and what Martin Amis in another context once referred to as 'herd
rectitude.' Nabokov was not wont to fall to his knees the minute someone
invoked psychological orthodoxy.
2) "Romantic love is trite, and death is trite, in Michael
Glynn's terms."
-Misses the point, in my opinion. What is at issue is Nabokov's attitude to
'Shade's' poem. Nabokov treats Shade and 'his' conventional poem ironically in
my view. Brian Boyd fails to see how I can hold such a view and be able to
evaluate the poem. I do not personally see the poem in the way Brian Boyd does
but I quite accept his right to evaluate the poem, indeed I welcome and respect
his evaluations, even if I find those evaluations to be off-kilter.
Many thanks
Michael Glynn
----- End forwarded message -----