Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0005824, Sat, 17 Mar 2001 11:02:13 -0800

Subject
[VN in A. Theroux's _The Primary Colors_]
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. All Nabokov-lovers should enjoy the Theroux book
mentioned below by Juan Martinez (Aka "Fulmerford"), editor of the
Nabokov WAXWING site. A. Theroux, not to be confused with Paul or
another writer brother, has, alas, never again comeclose to his
masterpiece _Darconville's Cat_.


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From: Juan Martinez <jmm80625@mail.ucf.edu>

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A. Theroux, apropos of the color blue, writes: "In Nabokov's fiction
there is a spree of blue surnames: Dr. Azureus, Stella Lazurchick
Sinepuzov
'blue bellybutton'), and the college astronomer Starover Blue in _Pale
Fire_. In Nabokov's system of colored hearing, the _x_ sound -- for
example, Axel Rex -- evokes steely blue. 'I must keep quiet for a little
space and then walk very slowly along that bright sound of pain, towards
that blue, blue wave. What bliss there is in blueness. I never know how
blue blueness could be,' says Albinus in his death vision in Nabokov's
_Laughter in the Dark_."

This, by the way, is apropos of nothing: I was looking for
_Darconville's
Cat_, stumbled on the essays book, and flipped to the page with the
Nabokovian mention by pure chance.
>
> -- http://www.fulmerford.com