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Fw: Fw: : Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Camille Scaysbrook" <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (140
lines) ------------------
> Having read this article - which takes a more sensationalist and less
> academic view than the earlier one - I am only more intrigued about the
> similiarities in the Sergey-Vladimir story and the Kinbote-Shade story. We
> have: a well-regarded poet and scholar with a loving wife, and his
> doppelganger, a dapper but strangely disconsolate homosexual dreamer of
> dreams. The reader is never truly sure who created who. Plenty of food for
> thought.
>
> On another note, the constant appearance of doppelgangers in Nabokov's
work
> only makes me wish even harder that David Lynch had obtained the film
rights
> for `Lolita' instead of the pedestrian Adrian Lyne (it's rumoured that
Lynch
> was after them at about the same time) - because they are also a major
theme
> in his work, which he has handled very well in the past.
>
> Camille Scaysbrook
>
> > EDITOR's NOTE. NABOKV-L thanks James Twiggs for supplying the address
of
> > the item below---Vanessa Thorpe's article in THE OBSERVER of 21 May.
Her
> > essay is a follow-up to Lev Grossman's SALON piece on Nabokov and his
> > brother Sergei. Thorpe appears to have interviewed Marina Ledkovsky, N's
> > niece and one of Grossman's sources, and gotten some additional
> information
> > but is no VN authority --she writes that The Real Life of Sebastian
Knight
> > is a short story.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "James Twiggs" <jtwigz@ipa.net>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (92
> > lines) ------------------
> > > More here about this:
> > >
> > > http://www.booksunlimited.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,223265,00.html
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > > > >----------
> > > >> From: Camille Scaysbrook <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
> > > >>
> > > >> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (69 lines)
> > > >------------------
> > > >>
> > Then, I am surprised that he got so little mention as to almost escape
my
> > > > > notice - as I said, he is Nabokov's only extended and relatively
> > rounded
> > > > > portrait of a homosexual man and I would have welcomed a more
> > in-depth
> > > >> discussion of his character in relation to Nabokov's feelings
about
> > > >Sergei.
> > > >> Surely he must, if only in the back of his mind, have been
> > contemplating
> > > >the
> > > >> unhappy romances that had Sergei dismissed from school when he
wrote
> > of
> > > >> Kinbote's adolescent romance.
> > > >>
> > > >> Camille Scaysbrook
> > > >>
> > > >> > > Lev Grossman's article *does* mention Kinbote: "From the
giggly
> > > >ballet
> > > >> > > dancers of Nabokov's first novel, 'Mary,' to the ghastly
Gaston
> > > >Godin,
> > > >> > > Humbert Humbert's neighbor in 'Lolita,' TO THE EGOMANIACAL
> > NARRATOR
> > > >OF
> > > >> > > 'PALE FIRE,' they are vain, silly, usually effeminate -- he
uses
> > the
> > > >> word
> > > >> > > 'mincing' a lot -- shallow, intellectually trivial and
> > ineffectual,
> > > >and
> > > >> > > the narrator generally introduces them with a nudge and a wink
> and
> > a
> > > >> > > snigger." The article also mentions Paduk: "...Nabokov's
> feelings
> > > >about
> > > >> > > his brother were never simple: In 'Bend Sinister' it's not the
> > hero
> > > >> who's
> > > >> > > gay but the dictator who orders his death."
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > I am sure the article will provoke strong feelings and
opinions
> > (the
> > > >> > > list discussions of the issue never fail to, after all). I
> > personally
> > > >> > > found it to be well written, educational (it was great seeing
> > > >glimpses
> > > >> of
> > > >> > > Sergei's own letters), balanced, and thoughtful.
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > Galya Diment
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > On Fri, 19 May 2000, D. Barton Johnson wrote:
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > >
> > > >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > >> > > > From: Camille Scaysbrook
> > > >> > > > To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
> > > >> > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 4:55 PM
> > > >> > > > Subject: Re: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
> > > >> > > >
> > > >> > > >
> > > >> > > > The thing that puzzles me about this article is that it
makes
> no
> > > >> > reference to Charles Kinbote who is (if we separate him from the
> `is
> > he
> > > >> > Shade or is Shade Kinbote' controversy) the only gay narrator
and
> > main
> > > >> > character of any of Nabokov's books. There is something very sad
> and
> > > >> > touching about Kinbote's sexuality, the passage about the way he
> > could
> > > >> love his wife fully in dreams but not reality always sticks in my
> > mind.
> > > >> This, and his adolescent romance with the dead prince are so
> touching
> > as to
> > >>> seem difficult to reconcile with Nabokov's homophobic attitudes.
> > Still, I
> > > >found
> > > >> > Sergei's story fascinating, and it certainly adds a new
> perspective
> > for
> > > >me on many of the young men `palely loitering' through Nabokov's
> prose.
> >
> > > >> > > > Camille Scaysbrook
> >
> > > >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > >> > > > From: D. Barton Johnson
> > > >> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > >> > > > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 4:29 AM
> > > >> > > > Subject: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
> >
>
>
From: "Camille Scaysbrook" <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (140
lines) ------------------
> Having read this article - which takes a more sensationalist and less
> academic view than the earlier one - I am only more intrigued about the
> similiarities in the Sergey-Vladimir story and the Kinbote-Shade story. We
> have: a well-regarded poet and scholar with a loving wife, and his
> doppelganger, a dapper but strangely disconsolate homosexual dreamer of
> dreams. The reader is never truly sure who created who. Plenty of food for
> thought.
>
> On another note, the constant appearance of doppelgangers in Nabokov's
work
> only makes me wish even harder that David Lynch had obtained the film
rights
> for `Lolita' instead of the pedestrian Adrian Lyne (it's rumoured that
Lynch
> was after them at about the same time) - because they are also a major
theme
> in his work, which he has handled very well in the past.
>
> Camille Scaysbrook
>
> > EDITOR's NOTE. NABOKV-L thanks James Twiggs for supplying the address
of
> > the item below---Vanessa Thorpe's article in THE OBSERVER of 21 May.
Her
> > essay is a follow-up to Lev Grossman's SALON piece on Nabokov and his
> > brother Sergei. Thorpe appears to have interviewed Marina Ledkovsky, N's
> > niece and one of Grossman's sources, and gotten some additional
> information
> > but is no VN authority --she writes that The Real Life of Sebastian
Knight
> > is a short story.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "James Twiggs" <jtwigz@ipa.net>
> > >
> > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (92
> > lines) ------------------
> > > More here about this:
> > >
> > > http://www.booksunlimited.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,223265,00.html
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > > > >----------
> > > >> From: Camille Scaysbrook <verona_beach@hotpop.com>
> > > >>
> > > >> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (69 lines)
> > > >------------------
> > > >>
> > Then, I am surprised that he got so little mention as to almost escape
my
> > > > > notice - as I said, he is Nabokov's only extended and relatively
> > rounded
> > > > > portrait of a homosexual man and I would have welcomed a more
> > in-depth
> > > >> discussion of his character in relation to Nabokov's feelings
about
> > > >Sergei.
> > > >> Surely he must, if only in the back of his mind, have been
> > contemplating
> > > >the
> > > >> unhappy romances that had Sergei dismissed from school when he
wrote
> > of
> > > >> Kinbote's adolescent romance.
> > > >>
> > > >> Camille Scaysbrook
> > > >>
> > > >> > > Lev Grossman's article *does* mention Kinbote: "From the
giggly
> > > >ballet
> > > >> > > dancers of Nabokov's first novel, 'Mary,' to the ghastly
Gaston
> > > >Godin,
> > > >> > > Humbert Humbert's neighbor in 'Lolita,' TO THE EGOMANIACAL
> > NARRATOR
> > > >OF
> > > >> > > 'PALE FIRE,' they are vain, silly, usually effeminate -- he
uses
> > the
> > > >> word
> > > >> > > 'mincing' a lot -- shallow, intellectually trivial and
> > ineffectual,
> > > >and
> > > >> > > the narrator generally introduces them with a nudge and a wink
> and
> > a
> > > >> > > snigger." The article also mentions Paduk: "...Nabokov's
> feelings
> > > >about
> > > >> > > his brother were never simple: In 'Bend Sinister' it's not the
> > hero
> > > >> who's
> > > >> > > gay but the dictator who orders his death."
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > I am sure the article will provoke strong feelings and
opinions
> > (the
> > > >> > > list discussions of the issue never fail to, after all). I
> > personally
> > > >> > > found it to be well written, educational (it was great seeing
> > > >glimpses
> > > >> of
> > > >> > > Sergei's own letters), balanced, and thoughtful.
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > Galya Diment
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > On Fri, 19 May 2000, D. Barton Johnson wrote:
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > > >
> > > >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > >> > > > From: Camille Scaysbrook
> > > >> > > > To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
> > > >> > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 4:55 PM
> > > >> > > > Subject: Re: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
> > > >> > > >
> > > >> > > >
> > > >> > > > The thing that puzzles me about this article is that it
makes
> no
> > > >> > reference to Charles Kinbote who is (if we separate him from the
> `is
> > he
> > > >> > Shade or is Shade Kinbote' controversy) the only gay narrator
and
> > main
> > > >> > character of any of Nabokov's books. There is something very sad
> and
> > > >> > touching about Kinbote's sexuality, the passage about the way he
> > could
> > > >> love his wife fully in dreams but not reality always sticks in my
> > mind.
> > > >> This, and his adolescent romance with the dead prince are so
> touching
> > as to
> > >>> seem difficult to reconcile with Nabokov's homophobic attitudes.
> > Still, I
> > > >found
> > > >> > Sergei's story fascinating, and it certainly adds a new
> perspective
> > for
> > > >me on many of the young men `palely loitering' through Nabokov's
> prose.
> >
> > > >> > > > Camille Scaysbrook
> >
> > > >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > >> > > > From: D. Barton Johnson
> > > >> > > > To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> > > >> > > > Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2000 4:29 AM
> > > >> > > > Subject: Salon article on Sergey Nabokov
> >
>
>