Subject
Nabokov's childhood reading (fwd)
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. Below are a couple of VN questions I am trying on teh
Rutgers' children's lit. list. Do any of you have answers or ideas?
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Subject: GLORY children's book
Does anyone recognize what English children's book, the following scene
might come from? The book must have been published prior to 1910.
"...there was a story about... a picture with a path in the woods,
right above the the bed of a little boy, who, one fine night, just as he
was, nightshirt and all, went from his bed into the picture, onto the path
that disappeared into the woods." GLORY 4-5.
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Subject: Nabokov's first English reader?
I am attempting to identify the English primer from which Vladimir Nabokov
learned to read English circa 1904. He describes it as "a brown volume" in
which the early section was restricted to three-letter words. Its heroes
were Ben, Dan, Sam & Ned:"Who is Ben?" "He is Dan," "Sam is in bed." "Ben
has an axe." Near the text's end a simple story was presented: "One day
Ted said to Ann: Let us---"
These are example sentences Nabokov recalled some 40 years later, so they
may well be "illustrative" rather than accurate quotes. The book is
probably British since his governess was. Although, he refers to it as "my
grammar," the examples lead one to assume it was simply an elementary
reader.
I would be most grateful for any suggestions. Is there perhaps a
particular information source about the history of English primers that
covers the turn of the century?
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618
With thanks in advance,
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618
Rutgers' children's lit. list. Do any of you have answers or ideas?
------------------------------------------
Subject: GLORY children's book
Does anyone recognize what English children's book, the following scene
might come from? The book must have been published prior to 1910.
"...there was a story about... a picture with a path in the woods,
right above the the bed of a little boy, who, one fine night, just as he
was, nightshirt and all, went from his bed into the picture, onto the path
that disappeared into the woods." GLORY 4-5.
------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Nabokov's first English reader?
I am attempting to identify the English primer from which Vladimir Nabokov
learned to read English circa 1904. He describes it as "a brown volume" in
which the early section was restricted to three-letter words. Its heroes
were Ben, Dan, Sam & Ned:"Who is Ben?" "He is Dan," "Sam is in bed." "Ben
has an axe." Near the text's end a simple story was presented: "One day
Ted said to Ann: Let us---"
These are example sentences Nabokov recalled some 40 years later, so they
may well be "illustrative" rather than accurate quotes. The book is
probably British since his governess was. Although, he refers to it as "my
grammar," the examples lead one to assume it was simply an elementary
reader.
I would be most grateful for any suggestions. Is there perhaps a
particular information source about the history of English primers that
covers the turn of the century?
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618
With thanks in advance,
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618