NABOKV-L post 0011330, Fri, 15 Apr 2005 15:36:00 -0700

I would suggest you look in Pekka Tammi's: Russian subtexts in Nabokov's
fiction: four essays (Tampere UP, 1999)- one of the excellent essays
("Nabokov's Poetics of Dates") is about numbers in VN's fiction.
Best,
Ole Nyegaard, Århus


Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU> den 15. april 2005 kl.
05:09 +0000 skrev:
>EDNOTE. "Numerology" in all of VN's writing is well worth close
>examination.
>There exists an article on this but I can' recall the author. Does anyone?
>-------------------------------------------------
>
>
>----- Forwarded message from jansy@aetern.us -----
> Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 14:06:34 -0300
> From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
>Reply-To: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
> Subject: List on 222, 313 and 410, 412 or even 414
> To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum Dear List,
>
>
>Sometime ago there was a posting inquiring about Ada´s reference to room
>number
>222.
>
>
>'I had hoped you'd sleep here,' said Marina (not really caring one way or
>another). 'What is your room number at the hotel - not 222 by any
>chance?'She
>liked romantic coincidences. Demon consulted the tag on his key: 221 -
>which
>was good enough, fatidically and anecdotically speaking.
>
>
>At that time I could only recall Transparent Things where we find 313 (
>number
>one held as a prisoner ):
>
>
>He saw a very black 313 on a very white door and recalled instantly how
>he had
>told Armande (who had promised to visit him and did not wish to be
>announced):
>"Mnemonically it should be imagined as three little figures in profile, a
>prisoner passing by with one guard in front of him and another behind." (
>Transparent Things ).
>
>
>Now I can forward, again from Ada, a reference to 414.
>
>
>He left the balcony and ran down a short spiral staircase to the fourth
>floor.
>In the pit of his stomach there sat the suspicion that it might not be
>room
>410, as he conjectured, but 412 or even 414, What would happen if she had
>not
>understood, was not on the lookout? She had, she was.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>I remember that a connection between number 222 was made to the "two to
>two
>train to Toulouse" ( quite fascinating!). But all these numbers continue
>to
>puzzle me.
>
>
>Has anyone new ideas about the meaning VN attributed to room numbers?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Below, more room numbers, that time in Lolita:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In the slow clear hand of crime I wrote: Dr. Edgar H. Humbert and
>daughter, 342
>Lawn Street, Ramsdale. A key (342!) was half-shown to me (magician showing
>object he is about to palm) - and handed over to Uncle Tom. Lo, leaving
>the dog
>as she would leave me some day, rose from her haunches; a raindrop fell on
>Charlotte's grave; (...)
>
>
>- I would let myself into that "342" and find my nymphet, my beauty and
>bride,
>imprisoned in her crystal sleep. Jurors! If my happiness could have
>talked, it
>would have filled that genteel hotel with a deafening roar. And my only
>regret
>today is that I did not quietly deposit key "342" at the office, and
>leave the
>town, the country, the continent, the hemisphere, - indeed, the globe -
>that
>very same night.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Thanks, Jansy
>
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
>
>
>Dear List,
>
>Sometime ago there was a posting inquiring about Ada´s reference to
>room number 222.
>
>‘I had hoped you’d sleep here,’ said Marina (not really caring one way or
>another). ‘What is your room number at the hotel — not 222 by any
>chance?’She liked romantic coincidences. Demon consulted the tag on his
>key: 221 — which was good enough, fatidically and anecdotically speaking.
>
>At that time I could only recall Transparent Things where we find 313 (
>number one held as a prisoner ):
>
>He saw a very black 313 on a very white door and recalled instantly how
>he had told Armande (who had promised to visit him and did not wish to be
>announced): "Mnemonically it should be imagined as three little figures
>in profile, a prisoner passing by with one guard in front of him and
>another behind." ( Transparent Things ).
>
>Now I can forward, again from Ada, a reference to 414.
>
>
>He left the balcony and ran down a short spiral staircase to the fourth
>floor. In the pit of his stomach there sat the suspicion that it might
>not be room 410, as he conjectured, but 412 or even 414, What would
>happen if she had not understood, was not on the lookout? She had, she
>was.
>
>I remember that a connection between number 222 was made to the "two to
>two train to Toulouse" ( quite fascinating!). But all these numbers
>continue to puzzle me.
>Has anyone new ideas about the meaning VN attributed to room numbers?
>
>Below, more room numbers, that time in Lolita:
>
>
> In the slow clear hand of crime I wrote: Dr. Edgar H. Humbert and
>daughter, 342 Lawn Street, Ramsdale. A key (342!) was half-shown to me
>(magician showing object he is about to palm) — and handed over to Uncle
>Tom. Lo, leaving the dog as she would leave me some day, rose from her
>haunches; a raindrop fell on Charlotte's grave; (...)
>— I would let myself into that "342" and find my nymphet, my beauty and
>bride, imprisoned in her crystal sleep. Jurors! If my happiness could
>have talked, it would have filled that genteel hotel with a deafening
>roar. And my only regret today is that I did not quietly deposit key
>"342" at the office, and leave the town, the country, the continent, the
>hemisphere, — indeed, the globe — that very same night.
>
>
>
>
>Thanks, Jansy
>
>
>

----- End forwarded message -----