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Fw: Carolyn Kunin notes on Alexey Sklyarenko's tobakami/sobakami
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Re: Carolyn Kunin notes on Alexey Sklyarenko's tobakami/sobakamiEDNOTE. There certainly is a "tobaco" motif in ADA. The main one is connected to Percy de Prey. It is echoed in ADA II,5. Percy's cousin Cordula marries shipping magnate Ivan G. Tobak. descendent of the Russian Admiral who had a duel with Jean Nicot after whom the Tobago (or Tobakoff) Islands are named. Tobago is, BTW, the island Defoe's Robinson Crusoe was on. It's name is thought to have been taken by the Spanish from the Taino Indian word for smoking and hence being the source of "tobacco."
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: Carolyn Kunin notes on Alexey Sklyarenko's tobakami/sobakami
Dear Mr Mylnikov,
Carl Proffer in his "Ada as Wonderland" also notes:
It would rhyme in Russian "s Tobakymi (with the Tobaks) -- s sobakami (with dogs)."
The stress of both words falls on the second syllable (bak) so far as I know, so the rhyme would be a particularly "rich" one.
Tobak = Cabot, but also certainly (along with Tobakoff) makes the reader think of tabak or tobacco, and there certainly are references to smoke, smoking, ashes and ashettes, talc, powder and "snow" in the novel -- but what it all adds up to, I have no idea!
Carolyn Kunin
p.s. When it comes to Ada, I think we are all "missing something."
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: Carolyn Kunin notes on Alexey Sklyarenko's tobakami/sobakami
Dear Mr Mylnikov,
Carl Proffer in his "Ada as Wonderland" also notes:
It would rhyme in Russian "s Tobakymi (with the Tobaks) -- s sobakami (with dogs)."
The stress of both words falls on the second syllable (bak) so far as I know, so the rhyme would be a particularly "rich" one.
Tobak = Cabot, but also certainly (along with Tobakoff) makes the reader think of tabak or tobacco, and there certainly are references to smoke, smoking, ashes and ashettes, talc, powder and "snow" in the novel -- but what it all adds up to, I have no idea!
Carolyn Kunin
p.s. When it comes to Ada, I think we are all "missing something."