Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0010002, Fri, 9 Jul 2004 18:17:49 -0700

Subject
Re: TT-2 (fwd)
Date
Body
------------------ I thank Jeff for reminding me of the splendid solution
of the "mnemoptical trick." I did read it on Zembla archive before, but
alas, it has eluded my non-Anglo-French brain.

> 5. H apparently mis-remembers his old room number when he guesses
> the "middle three-hundreds." It was 313. Significance??

It just occurred to me that 313 might have turned into 373. Hugh suggested
Armande to remember the number as "three little figures in profile, a
prisoner passing by with one guard in front of him and another behind." The
mnemonic could be applied to 373. Hugh fails again to regain the past.

ED. Doesn't the 313 fit the image better than 373.

I would like to mention a motif of non-existent animals that begins with "a
multitude of small animals" in Ch. 1. "A circus elephant" and "a stupid pet"
like which the bathroom door "whined and immediately followed him into the
room." The latter will appear as a little spitz of "a lady with a dog" in
Ch. 26. The circus elephant seems me to have come from "Spring in Fialta,"
and also introduces the Hannibal theme.

I have been troubled by "the cool shrines." As Don mentions, the water theme
is introduced here, and usually the water theme is related with "fall"
movements, but "monuments to be erected to it" is contrasting. But why "cool
shrines"? Is there any natural association between water and them?

Akiko Nakata









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D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L