Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0005475, Thu, 14 Sep 2000 20:18:58 -0700

Subject
query: "Ramsey" in ADA?
Date
Body
In ADA, Part II, chapter 8, first page, Van describes taking Ada and Lucette
to the "Ursus, the best Franco-Estotian restauant in Manhatten Major." The
evening includes a Russian floor show featuring "...Flora, a slender, hardly
nubile, half-naked music-hall dancer of uncertain origin (Rumanian? Romany?
Ramseyan?) whose services Van had availed himself of several times in the
fall of that year."

What's with that "RAMSEYAN"? It is part of a series of ethnic labels--which
it certainly isn't. The chapter contains many scenes which are written as if
they are/were descriptions of paintings by various hands. Could "Ramsey" be
such? A painting of a Gypsy dancer? I have not been able to locate a
painter of that name who fits the bill. Answers? Ideas?

D. Barton Johnson