Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0009011, Thu, 11 Dec 2003 09:20:25 -0800

Subject
Fw: Query: Russian Duel
Date
Body
EDNOTE. Thanks to Gabriel White for his reference. Nabokov himself provides
a detailed and documented account of dueling in his Commentaries to his
translation of Pushkin's Eugene Onegin: vol 3, pp 40-56, 46-51--in
particular. I hazily recollect that a version of it ran in _Playboy_.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gabriel White" <white_gabriel@hotmail.com>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (48
lines) ------------------
> Its hardly just the Russians who dueled--it was a pan-European phenomenon,
> and even American--Alexander Hamilton died from wounds sustained in a
duel.
> For understanding the specifics of dueling in the Russian context, read
> Ritualized Violence Russian Style: The Duel in Russian Culture and
> Literature by Irina Reyfman.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 8:48 PM
> Subject: Query: Russian Duel
>
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dane Gill" <pennyparkerpark@hotmail.com>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (19
> > lines) ------------------
> > > Greetings
> > > I must admit my social, cultural, historical ignorance: What is a
> Russian
> > > Duel exactly (I mean that in a cultural sense). I mean is it really "I
> > > challenge you to a duel", and then the two people go out and shoot
each
> > > other (or stab or whatever)? I cannot believe how crazy that is. While
> > > reading Boyd's biographies I came across several instances where both
VN
> > and
> > > VDN "call out" someone. What is it about the Russians (and other
> nations?
> > I
> > > don't know) and their code of honor that would make a man with a wife
> and
> > > kid(s) risk his life over such trivial things? The duel also appears
in
> > VN's
> > > fiction all over the place (ie "An Affair of Honor", Ada). I was
hoping
> > > someone could give me a better understanding of the duel (culturally,
> > > historically). Please keep in mind that I have already admitted my
> > ignorace
> > > and do not mean to offend anyone.
> > > Dane Gill
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> >