Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0009917, Thu, 24 Jun 2004 08:39:03 -0700

Subject
Re: Fw: break down your door for owning a copy of Vladimir
Nabokov's Lolita ... (fwd)
Date
Body
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: Thursday, June 24, 2004 12:05 AM -0400
From: George Shimanovich <gshiman@optonline.net>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Subject: Re: Fw: break down your door for owning a copy of Vladimir
Nabokov's Lolita ...


Nope. Our Editor was right, as often;). In 'On a Book Entitled Lolita' VN
says that while he was laid up with a severe attack of neuralgia in late
1939 or early 1940, in Paris:
"As far as I can can recall, the initial shiver of inspiration was somehow
prompted by a newspaper article about an ape in the Jardin des Plates, who,
after months of coaxing by a scientist, produced the first drawing ever
charcoaled by an animal: this sketch showed the bars of the poor creature's
cage."
I think that ape, months of coaxing by a scientist, and cage's bars provide
the key to Lolita. My confusion with Berlin's Zoo was caused by another ape
growing to the East at that time.

- George



From: Mark Bennett
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:04 AM
Subject: RE: Fw: break down your door for owning a copy of Vladimir
Nabokov's Lolita ...


It might have been the Berlin Zoo. Michael Juliar has interesting note on
this issue on available on Zembla:
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/foriles.htm


__________________________________________________
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf
Of D. Barton Johnson
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 10:13 AM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Fw: break down your door for owning a copy of Vladimir Nabokov's
Lolita ...



EDNOTE. I think it was the Paris zoo.

----- Original Message -----
From: George Shimanovich
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: break down your door for owning a copy of Vladimir Nabokov's
Lolita ...


It is no surprise that smooth talking, progressive apes are attracted to
novel inspired by view of caged ape in Berlin Zoo.

George Shimanovich






---------- End Forwarded Message ----------



D. Barton Johnson
NABOKV-L