Alexey Sklyarenko: " [...] In Pushkin's novel in
verse (Chapter Six) Onegin kills in a duel Lensky. Barboshin, as he
prepares to perform his duty of the private detective hired by
Troshcheykin, sings from Chaykovski's opera: Начнём
пожалуй ('Yes, if you like, let's start')."
[footnote:
"In Pushkin's novel Lenski speaks these words with a different intonation:
'Let's start if you are willing'." ]
JM: In 'The Luzhin Defense' we find: " When everything had been set out, Luzhin suddenly made up his mind
and muttered: 'I already can play a little.' 'Who taught you?' asked his father
without lifting his head. 'I learned it at school,' replied Luzhin. 'Some of the
boys could play.' 'Oh! Fine,' said his father, and added (quoting Pushkin's
doomed duelist): 'Let's start, if you are willing'."
Differently from Nabokov's novel, in its movie adaptation
by Marleen Gorris (with a script by Peter Berry) this quote
is repeated at least three times to bring out Oedipal undertones .