C.Kunin: This photo reminds me that in the interview a link to which Jansy so kindly profered in the discussion about how to pronounce Lolita, Vera and VN are playing chess in English! was that for the (French) interviewer? Why not play in French, then? or Russian? Do you suppose that in private they actually spoke English together? His English by the way was so sweet, intimate and charming - I was amazed that he allowed it to be filmed.*

Jansy Mello:  Hello, Carolyn. An interesting observation: in what language did the Nabokov couple routinely communicate with each other after they moved to Switzerland. Has the “sweet, intimate and charming” exchange been staged for interviewer and crew and this is why VN allowed such a peep into his intimacy?   

We always wonder how good was Vladimir Nabokov’s literary German. If my memory proves to be right, Vera herself had perfect mastery of it and the pair might have enjoyed reading aloud together a great variety of foreign works.  

………..
*  "Nabokov in America,"