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Re: Nabokov and Fitzgerald: Question & Answer (fwd)
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I prefer The Great Gatsby as well -- not only to Tender is the Night but
also (oh, blasphemy!) to Mary. It is, in fact, one of my favorite
books. I think it's because the theme was so close to Nabokov's heart, and
because Fitzgerald's treatment of it is so different from what Nabokov
offers, that Nabokov rejects The Great Gatsby, preferring the other,
inferior work. GD
On Thu, 6 Mar 1997, R. Welsh wrote:
> I, too, have often wondered about VN's strange pronouncement. The only
> answer I could come up with was that, possibly, we are a little too aware
> of Fitzgerald's ambition in The Great Gatsby. Tender is the Night is a
> bit more florid, more romantic, perhaps. Personally, I still prefer
> Gatsby; the last time I checked, the pleasures it offered were -- as VN
> demanded -- very much of the spinal sort.RW
>
also (oh, blasphemy!) to Mary. It is, in fact, one of my favorite
books. I think it's because the theme was so close to Nabokov's heart, and
because Fitzgerald's treatment of it is so different from what Nabokov
offers, that Nabokov rejects The Great Gatsby, preferring the other,
inferior work. GD
On Thu, 6 Mar 1997, R. Welsh wrote:
> I, too, have often wondered about VN's strange pronouncement. The only
> answer I could come up with was that, possibly, we are a little too aware
> of Fitzgerald's ambition in The Great Gatsby. Tender is the Night is a
> bit more florid, more romantic, perhaps. Personally, I still prefer
> Gatsby; the last time I checked, the pleasures it offered were -- as VN
> demanded -- very much of the spinal sort.RW
>