Subject
Re: Minor points: Surnames and name days
From
Date
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Dear Jansy,
I can always count on you to catch some meaning to the 'sprays' of my ramblings.
But I, unlike you, was entranced by the film of Anna Karenina that came out last
year. I especially liked that Karenin comes off as a sympathetic and even kind
man, which is not how he is usually portrayed. All things considered, I think he
handled the extraordinary situation as well, nay, better than anyone in his
position could. I didn't care for Vronsky or find him attractive, but who cares
about that?
Now what I did find wonderful, and wonderfully Nabokovian (and I did post it to
the List at the time) was that Kitty and Levin play a Russian version of
Scrabble, the very same game played by Van and Ada early in the novel. It's
really a game closer to what VN called 'word golf,' but where? oh brother,
where? Pale Fire?
Best to you from
Carolyn
________________________________
From: Jansy <jansy@AETERN.US>
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Sun, April 28, 2013 9:58:45 AM
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Minor points: Surnames and name days
Carolyn Kunin: At the moment I can't recall Pnin's first (Christian) name.
Reminding me of that moment of great suspense in Oscar Wilde's play, when Aunt
Augusta "cawn't recall what the General's christian name was" which of course
was the whole point of the comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest.* Nor can I
recall at the moment what our author's attitude toward the great Irish comics
was -- I'm sure he was unaware of Somerville and Ross, but surely he had
something to say of the famous resident of Reading Gaol ... (the other great
Irish comic writer I was thinking of is of course the great GBS -- what
anglophile isn't aware of him?) [ ] His name turned out to be, to everyone's
delight except Aunt Augusta's, that the General had indeed been christened
Earnest. But what his surname was, I'm sure I have no idea.
Eric Hyman: “But what his surname was, I'm sure I have no idea.”: Moncrieff.
(Yes, we are getting away from VN, and I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed
if you don’t post this.)
Jansy Mello: Your writing now follows Nabokov's stride in a way and so does
Carolyn's spray of associations, inspite of their unexpected aims.
I'm glad that SES posted your reply to her query. Pnin is Timofey. Saint
Vladimir's day is on July 15. Nabokov describes famous birthday parties, the
most memorable are Ada's picnics in Ardis. I don't remember VN's own childhood
festivities but I seem to recollect a cousin's when the kids played hide and
seek and forgot all about him. Rejection, boredom and loneliness is also a part
of any idyllic childhood, its dark contours perhaps.
btw, inspite of innumerous inspired angles and photography, or the play inside
the play blending fictional reality and its representation, I disliked
enormously the recent production of Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright. The
real world of a novelist, at least its intelligibility, gains consistency by
details (caress them) and I missed them all, inspite of all the luxurious lamps
and trinkets.
Google Search the archive Contact the Editors Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"
Visit Zembla View Nabokv-L Policies Manage subscription options Visit AdaOnline
View NSJ Ada Annotations Temporary L-Soft Search the archive
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
Search archive with Google:
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Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/
I can always count on you to catch some meaning to the 'sprays' of my ramblings.
But I, unlike you, was entranced by the film of Anna Karenina that came out last
year. I especially liked that Karenin comes off as a sympathetic and even kind
man, which is not how he is usually portrayed. All things considered, I think he
handled the extraordinary situation as well, nay, better than anyone in his
position could. I didn't care for Vronsky or find him attractive, but who cares
about that?
Now what I did find wonderful, and wonderfully Nabokovian (and I did post it to
the List at the time) was that Kitty and Levin play a Russian version of
Scrabble, the very same game played by Van and Ada early in the novel. It's
really a game closer to what VN called 'word golf,' but where? oh brother,
where? Pale Fire?
Best to you from
Carolyn
________________________________
From: Jansy <jansy@AETERN.US>
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Sun, April 28, 2013 9:58:45 AM
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Minor points: Surnames and name days
Carolyn Kunin: At the moment I can't recall Pnin's first (Christian) name.
Reminding me of that moment of great suspense in Oscar Wilde's play, when Aunt
Augusta "cawn't recall what the General's christian name was" which of course
was the whole point of the comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest.* Nor can I
recall at the moment what our author's attitude toward the great Irish comics
was -- I'm sure he was unaware of Somerville and Ross, but surely he had
something to say of the famous resident of Reading Gaol ... (the other great
Irish comic writer I was thinking of is of course the great GBS -- what
anglophile isn't aware of him?) [ ] His name turned out to be, to everyone's
delight except Aunt Augusta's, that the General had indeed been christened
Earnest. But what his surname was, I'm sure I have no idea.
Eric Hyman: “But what his surname was, I'm sure I have no idea.”: Moncrieff.
(Yes, we are getting away from VN, and I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed
if you don’t post this.)
Jansy Mello: Your writing now follows Nabokov's stride in a way and so does
Carolyn's spray of associations, inspite of their unexpected aims.
I'm glad that SES posted your reply to her query. Pnin is Timofey. Saint
Vladimir's day is on July 15. Nabokov describes famous birthday parties, the
most memorable are Ada's picnics in Ardis. I don't remember VN's own childhood
festivities but I seem to recollect a cousin's when the kids played hide and
seek and forgot all about him. Rejection, boredom and loneliness is also a part
of any idyllic childhood, its dark contours perhaps.
btw, inspite of innumerous inspired angles and photography, or the play inside
the play blending fictional reality and its representation, I disliked
enormously the recent production of Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright. The
real world of a novelist, at least its intelligibility, gains consistency by
details (caress them) and I missed them all, inspite of all the luxurious lamps
and trinkets.
Google Search the archive Contact the Editors Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"
Visit Zembla View Nabokv-L Policies Manage subscription options Visit AdaOnline
View NSJ Ada Annotations Temporary L-Soft Search the archive
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/