Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0010101, Fri, 23 Jul 2004 20:01:46 -0700

Subject
Re: TT-4 Hotel names (fwd) (fwd)
Date
Body
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Friday, July 23, 2004 3:53 PM -0600
From: Earl Sampson <esamson3@comcast.net>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Subject: Re: TT-4 Hotel names (fwd)

------------------ I meant to add to my far-out speculation on the hotel
name Locquet a comment on the name of the Ascot. "Ascot" anagrams to
"tosca." I don't suppose this has anything to do with the Puccini opera,
but since the "c" is hard, it is a phonetic anagram of the Russian word
"toska," which is one of those affective Russian words that has no exact
English equivalent, but a number of possible translations depending on the
context, including "anguish," "melancholy," "ennui," "longing," "yearning,"
etc., many of which would apply to Hugh Person's emotional state.



"D. Barton Johnson" wrote:

> -------------------
>
> On page 9.9, Has anyone a comment on the Hotel name "Locquet" which
> we are told resembled the maiden name of [Hugh's] mother? Most
> of the hotel names, like many of the place names and personal
> names seem to be fair game for Nabokov.
>
> John
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>
> EDNOTE. I don't recall commentary on it but as any irrelevant John Shade's
> mother is Carolyn Lukin.





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D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L