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Fw: Auction of Nabokov Presentation Copies
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Date
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Suh" <ardishall@earthlink.net>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (230
lines) ------------------
> Dear Professor Johnson:
>
> I haven't had anything to contribute to this list in some years, but upon
reading about this auction, I feel the urge to register, for what it's
worth, my unspeakable sadness.
>
> Michael Suh
>
> on 3/22/04 6:07 PM, D. Barton Johnson at chtodel@cox.net wrote:
>
> >
> > dqm__codebase = "/js/" //script folder location
> >
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> > The Library of Dmitri Nabokov
> > Inscribed and annotated Books by Vladimir Nabokov
> > 09 march 2003 < Sale 05 may 2004, Hôtel des Bergues, Geneva
> >
> > Book collectors can get very excited over certain books, and the sale of
many
> > a great library can create real turmoil in enlightened circles. Then,
there
> > are collections of a different kind, the value of which, beyond the
usual
> > criteria, is due to the special relationship between the books and their
> > owner. Those books are exceptional. Such is indeed the case with this
library.
> > The full measure of its importance will be understood by the fact that,
> > consisting of about one hundred volumes comprising some thirty titles,
it does
> > represent a section of world literature.
> >
> > The sale of Dmitri Nabokov's library is, and will always be, regarded as
a
> > historical sale.
> >
> > After placement of the writer's archives and manuscripts in the Berg
> > Collection of the New York Public Library in 1991, this sale is the
second and
> > probably last major sale of important documents pertaining to Vladimir
> > Nabokov.
> > The provenance
> > of this collection speaks for its authenticity, its cohesion and its
exclusive
> > character.
> >
> > Nabokov seldom signed his presentation copies; most of the signed copies
were
> > for his wife and his son Dmitri. Recipient of many of them, and heir to
his
> > late mother's books, Dmitri therefore possesses most of the books
inscribed by
> > his father in particular those illustrated with the famous Nabokov
> > butterflies. The same is true of the books from V. Nabokov's personal
library,
> > identified by a discreet butterfly sketched on one of the first pages.
All the
> > books described herein being part of Dmitri Nabokov's personal
collection,
> > their authenticity is beyond all doubt a welcome certainty since such
> > discreet marks can easily be imitated.
> > The lives and works of Nabokov
> > Like Godot or L'Étranger, Lolita was one of those stellar books that
suddenly
> > blaze with worldwide glory and propel their author to the very first
rank, but
> > cast no light on his other writings. This phenomenon occurs only with
truly
> > major writers and highly important books; Lolita is a case in point.
> >
> > Indeed, Nabokov is one of the great writers of the twentieth century and
of
> > Anglo-Saxon literature. Furthermore, he is one of the supreme Russian
authors
> > of his century. There is no other instance of a writer responsible for
books
> > of such importance in two different languages, an achievement that seems
> > superhuman.
> >
> > « I am an American author, born in Russia, educated in England where I
studied
> > French texts », Nabokov once said. His French writings were few, but
their
> > excellence suggests that Vladimir Nabokov might have become a literary
> > virtuoso in three languages, rather than two, in five countries1. He was
also
> > an authentic entomologist, discovering two new species of butterflies,
and
> > establishing a new taxonomy still valid today. He was an ardent chess
player
> > and sportsman. He taught languages, Russian literature and boxing. The
> > Australian scolar Brian Boyd impassioned by Nabokov, set out to write
about
> > his life; it took him ten years of his own: 1500 pages in two volumes2.
> > Nabokov married Véra Slonim and they lived together for half a century.
They
> > had a son, Dmitri, born in 1934. All three of them always had a close
> > relationship, Dmitri never being away from his parents for long. They
worked
> > together, contributing to Vladimir's works till the writer's last days
at the
> > Palace-Hotel in Montreux. Vladimir died during the Summer of 1977; Véra
> > followed him in the Spring of 1991. What remains of all this or, to be
more
> > precise, what are the traces that can be found in Dmitri Nabokov's
library?
> > Nabokov is present on every page
> > Fully aware of his genious and giving the utmost importance to language
and
> > the meaning of words, V. Nabokov paid great attention to the translation
of
> > his own books. He had a passion for correcting, for changing, for
revising.
> > Where Proust's texts were in their definite state when given to the
printer,
> > Nabokov would alter his writings long after the books were first
printed. Many
> > of the books here bear witness to his never-ending rewriting. In the
margins,
> > one finds notes, corrections, translations, often quite long; most of
them by
> > V. Nabokov himself, some by Véra or by Dmitri, at Vladimir's behest.
> >
> > Each of these books therefore is a result of constant change a unique
record
> > of their evolution. Not only in the printed text, but in his personal
> > notations as well, Nabokov himself can be found, on every page.
> >
> > A large number of Nabokov's annotations pertain to the translation of
his own
> > texts. He himself was a translator: from Russian to English and French;
from
> > English and sometimes French to Russian. He translated, amongst others,
> > Pushkin, Shakespeare, and Musset. But most of all, Nabokov translated
Nabokov.
> > Thus he really knew what translation was all about or rather, what he
> > considered what it should be, particularly as regards his own texts,
which he
> > would sometimes rewrite or write anew. This is stressed in his
autobiography,
> > Speak, Memory, the genesis of which took many years, with changes from
one
> > language to another, each of those « translations » being not strictly a
> > translation but altogether another text.
> >
> > On occasion, he would be moderately pleased by the translations provided
by
> > his publishers. More often he found translators generally disastrous,
> > declaring that they had, in particular « an overwhelming incompetence
for
> > poetry ». « What is translation? On a platter / A poet's pale and
glaring
> > head, / A parrot's screech, a monkey's chatter, / And profanation of the
> > dead... » (first lines of his poem « On translating Eugene Onegin » in
Poems,
> > 1959). Most of the translations were corrected in new revised editions
by
> > Vladimir Nabokov himself, or by his son Dmitri, translator of many V.
N.'s
> > prose works in collaboration with the author or alone, and currently at
work
> > on an anthology of previously untranslated V. N.'s poems. Dmitri was
probably
> > the only translator with whom he was fully satisfied, as he emphasized
in a
> > number of the dedications.
> >
> > The corrections and annotations are of great literary and historical
> > importance. However, some of the volumes of Dmitri Nabokov's library do
not
> > belong to this category of « working books ». They show the writer's
> > involvment with his work in a more subtle and emotional way, a bond
tying
> > together Vladimir, Véra and Dmitri Nabokov; such are, in particular, the
> > volumes with the butterfly dedications.
> > Véra's and Dmitri's butterflies
> > Since childhood, through the influence of his parents, Nabokov developed
a
> > passion for butterflies. When he was nine years old, he submitted to the
> > University a specimen he thought belonged to an unknown species. He was
wrong.
> > But one he submitted some thirty years later was an authentic discovery.
By
> > then, few people in the field had a better knowledge than he. Indeed, he
had
> > become a well known entomologist, a lepidopterist of international
repute,
> > specializing in lycaenidae. The taxonomic denomination of the butterfly
he
> > discovered includes his name, as it does in the case of another, later,
> > discovery of his.
> >
> > Butterflies always represented an essential rather than a marginal part
of his
> > activities. Nature was giving him « the same kind of magic [he was
searching
> > for] in art: mystification and magic spell intertwined ». If Nabokov's
texts
> > appear studded with those « pretty insects », other much rarer
butterflies are
> > to be found in some of the books in this collection.
> >
> > Indeed, a great number of the butterflies Vladimir Nabokov drew when
> > inscribing books to his son and his wife are to be found in Dmitri's
library.
> > Some were drawn in ink, others are in colour. Those made for Véra during
the
> > last twenty years of his life are probably the most spectacular: they
are like
> > highly enameled little creatures with stained-glass wings that might
have been
> > touched by a rainbow.
> >
> > Confronted with such fantasy, the question arises: how realistic are
these
> > drawings? Intriguing hybrids of naturalistic realism and sui generis
fantasy,
> > they convey Nabokov's idea of creation: « there is no science without
> > imagination; likewise, there is no art that does not rely on facts ».
The same
> > principle was applied when giving names to these butterflies: the names
are of
> > course imaginary, but in keeping with scientific rules. It is only in
these
> > pages, and nowhere else, that the exacting collector will ever find a
Colias
> > verae (or, for that matter, a blue Colias), an Armandia wonderlandensis
or a
> > Verina raduga. The latter, and a dozen other of these figments, derive
from
> > Véra Nabokov's name in particular the superlative Verina verae
dedication.
> > « à Véra »
> > These dedications, these butterflies are probably the illustration of a
> > certain concept of art as expressed by Nabokov. But they are also
> > manifestations of a different feeling that can simply be called love; a
love
> > that took the form of vivid, touching inventions. A love at a loss to
find the
> > right words a translational problem intensely felt by Nabokov, as was
his
> > disdain for « inept sentimental words ». These butterflies seem to
convey what
> > Vladimir and Véra shared a unique and total love.
> >
> > « I can name a blooming garden in Paris [...] where I noticed, in 1938
or
> > 1939, a quiet girl of ten or so, with a deadpan white face [and] dark,
shabby,
> > unseasonable clothes [...] who had deftly tied a live butterfly to a
thread
> > and was promenading the pretty, weakly fluttering, slightly crippled
insect on
> > that elfish leash [...] » (Speak, Memory, ch. 15).
> >
> > Every one of Dmitri Nabokov's books bears the precious, intimate and
rare
> > imprint of Vladimir Nabokov's genius. They are the writer's legacy to
his son,
> > the son who carried on his father's unfinished task of translating and
> > editing. They are offered today to those who can understand their value
and
> > their significance. It might be appropriate if the collection were to
remain
> > intact as a legacy to world literature; or else, on the contrary, if it
were
> > to be scattered, letting Véra's butterflies and Dmitri's fly for the
first
> > time in all directions.
> >
> > Alain Nicolas
> >
> >
> >
> > 1 Cf. the introduction to the definitive bibliography that we consulted
for
> > preparation of this catalogue: Michael Juliar, Vladimir Nabokov A
> > Descriptive Bibliography, Garland Publishers, 1986 (with Updates of
1991).
> >
> > 2 Brian Boyd, Vladimir Nabokov, Princeton University Press, 1990 et
1991.
> >
> > # # #
> >
> > Sale Informations
> > Eric Masquelier <mailto:masquelier-e@tajan.com> +33 1 5 3 30 30 79
> >
> > Relations with the press
> > Marie-Alix Vignau <mailto:vignau-ma@tajan.com> +33 1 53 30 30 80
> >
> > Back to news <../news/presse.asp>
> >
> > Home page </en/index.asp> | French version </fr/index.asp> Terms and
> > Conditions </en/help/conditions.asp> | © Tajan 2003
> >
>
>
From: "Michael Suh" <ardishall@earthlink.net>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (230
lines) ------------------
> Dear Professor Johnson:
>
> I haven't had anything to contribute to this list in some years, but upon
reading about this auction, I feel the urge to register, for what it's
worth, my unspeakable sadness.
>
> Michael Suh
>
> on 3/22/04 6:07 PM, D. Barton Johnson at chtodel@cox.net wrote:
>
> >
> > dqm__codebase = "/js/" //script folder location
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The Library of Dmitri Nabokov
> > Inscribed and annotated Books by Vladimir Nabokov
> > 09 march 2003 < Sale 05 may 2004, Hôtel des Bergues, Geneva
> >
> > Book collectors can get very excited over certain books, and the sale of
many
> > a great library can create real turmoil in enlightened circles. Then,
there
> > are collections of a different kind, the value of which, beyond the
usual
> > criteria, is due to the special relationship between the books and their
> > owner. Those books are exceptional. Such is indeed the case with this
library.
> > The full measure of its importance will be understood by the fact that,
> > consisting of about one hundred volumes comprising some thirty titles,
it does
> > represent a section of world literature.
> >
> > The sale of Dmitri Nabokov's library is, and will always be, regarded as
a
> > historical sale.
> >
> > After placement of the writer's archives and manuscripts in the Berg
> > Collection of the New York Public Library in 1991, this sale is the
second and
> > probably last major sale of important documents pertaining to Vladimir
> > Nabokov.
> > The provenance
> > of this collection speaks for its authenticity, its cohesion and its
exclusive
> > character.
> >
> > Nabokov seldom signed his presentation copies; most of the signed copies
were
> > for his wife and his son Dmitri. Recipient of many of them, and heir to
his
> > late mother's books, Dmitri therefore possesses most of the books
inscribed by
> > his father in particular those illustrated with the famous Nabokov
> > butterflies. The same is true of the books from V. Nabokov's personal
library,
> > identified by a discreet butterfly sketched on one of the first pages.
All the
> > books described herein being part of Dmitri Nabokov's personal
collection,
> > their authenticity is beyond all doubt a welcome certainty since such
> > discreet marks can easily be imitated.
> > The lives and works of Nabokov
> > Like Godot or L'Étranger, Lolita was one of those stellar books that
suddenly
> > blaze with worldwide glory and propel their author to the very first
rank, but
> > cast no light on his other writings. This phenomenon occurs only with
truly
> > major writers and highly important books; Lolita is a case in point.
> >
> > Indeed, Nabokov is one of the great writers of the twentieth century and
of
> > Anglo-Saxon literature. Furthermore, he is one of the supreme Russian
authors
> > of his century. There is no other instance of a writer responsible for
books
> > of such importance in two different languages, an achievement that seems
> > superhuman.
> >
> > « I am an American author, born in Russia, educated in England where I
studied
> > French texts », Nabokov once said. His French writings were few, but
their
> > excellence suggests that Vladimir Nabokov might have become a literary
> > virtuoso in three languages, rather than two, in five countries1. He was
also
> > an authentic entomologist, discovering two new species of butterflies,
and
> > establishing a new taxonomy still valid today. He was an ardent chess
player
> > and sportsman. He taught languages, Russian literature and boxing. The
> > Australian scolar Brian Boyd impassioned by Nabokov, set out to write
about
> > his life; it took him ten years of his own: 1500 pages in two volumes2.
> > Nabokov married Véra Slonim and they lived together for half a century.
They
> > had a son, Dmitri, born in 1934. All three of them always had a close
> > relationship, Dmitri never being away from his parents for long. They
worked
> > together, contributing to Vladimir's works till the writer's last days
at the
> > Palace-Hotel in Montreux. Vladimir died during the Summer of 1977; Véra
> > followed him in the Spring of 1991. What remains of all this or, to be
more
> > precise, what are the traces that can be found in Dmitri Nabokov's
library?
> > Nabokov is present on every page
> > Fully aware of his genious and giving the utmost importance to language
and
> > the meaning of words, V. Nabokov paid great attention to the translation
of
> > his own books. He had a passion for correcting, for changing, for
revising.
> > Where Proust's texts were in their definite state when given to the
printer,
> > Nabokov would alter his writings long after the books were first
printed. Many
> > of the books here bear witness to his never-ending rewriting. In the
margins,
> > one finds notes, corrections, translations, often quite long; most of
them by
> > V. Nabokov himself, some by Véra or by Dmitri, at Vladimir's behest.
> >
> > Each of these books therefore is a result of constant change a unique
record
> > of their evolution. Not only in the printed text, but in his personal
> > notations as well, Nabokov himself can be found, on every page.
> >
> > A large number of Nabokov's annotations pertain to the translation of
his own
> > texts. He himself was a translator: from Russian to English and French;
from
> > English and sometimes French to Russian. He translated, amongst others,
> > Pushkin, Shakespeare, and Musset. But most of all, Nabokov translated
Nabokov.
> > Thus he really knew what translation was all about or rather, what he
> > considered what it should be, particularly as regards his own texts,
which he
> > would sometimes rewrite or write anew. This is stressed in his
autobiography,
> > Speak, Memory, the genesis of which took many years, with changes from
one
> > language to another, each of those « translations » being not strictly a
> > translation but altogether another text.
> >
> > On occasion, he would be moderately pleased by the translations provided
by
> > his publishers. More often he found translators generally disastrous,
> > declaring that they had, in particular « an overwhelming incompetence
for
> > poetry ». « What is translation? On a platter / A poet's pale and
glaring
> > head, / A parrot's screech, a monkey's chatter, / And profanation of the
> > dead... » (first lines of his poem « On translating Eugene Onegin » in
Poems,
> > 1959). Most of the translations were corrected in new revised editions
by
> > Vladimir Nabokov himself, or by his son Dmitri, translator of many V.
N.'s
> > prose works in collaboration with the author or alone, and currently at
work
> > on an anthology of previously untranslated V. N.'s poems. Dmitri was
probably
> > the only translator with whom he was fully satisfied, as he emphasized
in a
> > number of the dedications.
> >
> > The corrections and annotations are of great literary and historical
> > importance. However, some of the volumes of Dmitri Nabokov's library do
not
> > belong to this category of « working books ». They show the writer's
> > involvment with his work in a more subtle and emotional way, a bond
tying
> > together Vladimir, Véra and Dmitri Nabokov; such are, in particular, the
> > volumes with the butterfly dedications.
> > Véra's and Dmitri's butterflies
> > Since childhood, through the influence of his parents, Nabokov developed
a
> > passion for butterflies. When he was nine years old, he submitted to the
> > University a specimen he thought belonged to an unknown species. He was
wrong.
> > But one he submitted some thirty years later was an authentic discovery.
By
> > then, few people in the field had a better knowledge than he. Indeed, he
had
> > become a well known entomologist, a lepidopterist of international
repute,
> > specializing in lycaenidae. The taxonomic denomination of the butterfly
he
> > discovered includes his name, as it does in the case of another, later,
> > discovery of his.
> >
> > Butterflies always represented an essential rather than a marginal part
of his
> > activities. Nature was giving him « the same kind of magic [he was
searching
> > for] in art: mystification and magic spell intertwined ». If Nabokov's
texts
> > appear studded with those « pretty insects », other much rarer
butterflies are
> > to be found in some of the books in this collection.
> >
> > Indeed, a great number of the butterflies Vladimir Nabokov drew when
> > inscribing books to his son and his wife are to be found in Dmitri's
library.
> > Some were drawn in ink, others are in colour. Those made for Véra during
the
> > last twenty years of his life are probably the most spectacular: they
are like
> > highly enameled little creatures with stained-glass wings that might
have been
> > touched by a rainbow.
> >
> > Confronted with such fantasy, the question arises: how realistic are
these
> > drawings? Intriguing hybrids of naturalistic realism and sui generis
fantasy,
> > they convey Nabokov's idea of creation: « there is no science without
> > imagination; likewise, there is no art that does not rely on facts ».
The same
> > principle was applied when giving names to these butterflies: the names
are of
> > course imaginary, but in keeping with scientific rules. It is only in
these
> > pages, and nowhere else, that the exacting collector will ever find a
Colias
> > verae (or, for that matter, a blue Colias), an Armandia wonderlandensis
or a
> > Verina raduga. The latter, and a dozen other of these figments, derive
from
> > Véra Nabokov's name in particular the superlative Verina verae
dedication.
> > « à Véra »
> > These dedications, these butterflies are probably the illustration of a
> > certain concept of art as expressed by Nabokov. But they are also
> > manifestations of a different feeling that can simply be called love; a
love
> > that took the form of vivid, touching inventions. A love at a loss to
find the
> > right words a translational problem intensely felt by Nabokov, as was
his
> > disdain for « inept sentimental words ». These butterflies seem to
convey what
> > Vladimir and Véra shared a unique and total love.
> >
> > « I can name a blooming garden in Paris [...] where I noticed, in 1938
or
> > 1939, a quiet girl of ten or so, with a deadpan white face [and] dark,
shabby,
> > unseasonable clothes [...] who had deftly tied a live butterfly to a
thread
> > and was promenading the pretty, weakly fluttering, slightly crippled
insect on
> > that elfish leash [...] » (Speak, Memory, ch. 15).
> >
> > Every one of Dmitri Nabokov's books bears the precious, intimate and
rare
> > imprint of Vladimir Nabokov's genius. They are the writer's legacy to
his son,
> > the son who carried on his father's unfinished task of translating and
> > editing. They are offered today to those who can understand their value
and
> > their significance. It might be appropriate if the collection were to
remain
> > intact as a legacy to world literature; or else, on the contrary, if it
were
> > to be scattered, letting Véra's butterflies and Dmitri's fly for the
first
> > time in all directions.
> >
> > Alain Nicolas
> >
> >
> >
> > 1 Cf. the introduction to the definitive bibliography that we consulted
for
> > preparation of this catalogue: Michael Juliar, Vladimir Nabokov A
> > Descriptive Bibliography, Garland Publishers, 1986 (with Updates of
1991).
> >
> > 2 Brian Boyd, Vladimir Nabokov, Princeton University Press, 1990 et
1991.
> >
> > # # #
> >
> > Sale Informations
> > Eric Masquelier <mailto:masquelier-e@tajan.com> +33 1 5 3 30 30 79
> >
> > Relations with the press
> > Marie-Alix Vignau <mailto:vignau-ma@tajan.com> +33 1 53 30 30 80
> >
> > Back to news <../news/presse.asp>
> >
> > Home page </en/index.asp> | French version </fr/index.asp> Terms and
> > Conditions </en/help/conditions.asp> | © Tajan 2003
> >
>
>