Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0008587, Tue, 16 Sep 2003 15:29:13 -0700

Subject
Van loves Ada+Lucette; Casanova's Memoirs; QUERY/ KVEREE
Date
Body
In ADA II-8 (418-22) the morning after the nightclub scene Van finds himself abed with both sisters. Nabokov writes:

What we have now is not so much a Casanovanic situation (that double-wencher had a definitely monochromatic pencil - in keeping with the memoirs of his dingy era) as a much earlier canvas, of the Venetian (sensu largo) school, reproduced (in 'Forbidden Masterpieces') expertly enough to stand the scrutiny of a borders vue d'oiseau (418).



In his notes to Kirichenko Russia translation of ADA, Nikolai Mel'nikov identifies the Casanova allusion as Casanova account of his dallliance with the two


Giacomo Casanova
The memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

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CHAPTER V
An Unlucky Night I Fall in Love with the Two Sisters, and Forget Angela-A Ball at My House-Juliette's Humiliation-My Return to Pasian-Lucie's Misfortune-A Propitious Storm
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