In VN¡¯s play Sobytie (¡°The Event,¡± 1938) the portrait painter Troshcheykin asks Vera (Lyubov¡¯s younger sister who calls Leonid Barbashin, the killer who five and a half years ago attempted upon the lives of Troshcheykin and his wife, ¡°Lyonya¡±), if Barbashin is a wunderkind:
§£§Ö§â§Ñ. §¦§ã§Ý§Ú §ç§à§é§Ö§ê§î §Ù§ß§Ñ§ä§î §Þ§à§× §Þ§ß§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö: §ä§í §ï§ä§à §ã§Ý§Ú§ê§Ü§à§Þ §á§â§Ú§ß§Ú§Þ§Ñ§Ö§ê§î §Ü §ã§Ö§â§Õ§è§å. §®§í §ä§å§ä §ã§Ö§Û§é§Ñ§ã §ã§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý§Ú §ã §§ð§Ò§à§Û §Ú §Ó§ã§á§à§Þ§Ú§ß§Ñ§Ý§Ú §á§â§à§ê§Ý§à§Ö, -- §Ú §á§â§Ú§ê§Ý§Ú §Ü §Ù§Ñ§Ü§Ý§ð§é§Ö§ß§Ú§ð, §é§ä§à §å §ä§Ö§Ò§ñ §ß§Ö§ä §ß§Ú§Ü§Ñ§Ü§à§Ô§à §à§ã§ß§à§Ó§Ñ§ß§Ú§ñ §Ò§à§ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §§×§ß§Ú §¢§Ñ§â§Ò§Ñ§ê§Ú§ß§Ñ.
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §¥§Ñ §é§ä§à §ä§í §Ö§Ô§à §Ó§ã§× §§×§ß§Ö§Û... §¬§ä§à §ï§ä§à -- §Ó§å§ß§Õ§Ö§â§Ü§Ú§ß§Õ? §£§à§ä §£§Ú§ê§ß§Ö§Ó§ã§Ü§Ú§Û §Þ§Ö§ß§ñ §ä§à§Ø§Ö §å§ã-§á§à-§Ü§Ñ§Ú§Ó§Ñ§Ý. §Á §ç§à§â§à§ê§à §Ö§Ô§à §à§ã§Ñ§Õ§Ú§Ý. §´§Ö§á§Ö§â§î §å§Ø §ß§Ñ §Ü§Ñ§Ù§×§ß§ß§å§ð §á§à§Þ§à§ë§î §ß§Ñ§Õ§Ö§ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §ß§Ö §á§â§Ú§ç§à§Õ§Ú§ä§ã§ñ, -- §à§Ò§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§ã§î §Ø§Ñ§Ò§Ñ. §Á §ß§Ö §ä§â§å§ã, §ñ §Ò§à§ð§ã§î §ß§Ö §Ù§Ñ §ã§Ö§Ò§ñ, §ß§à §ñ §Ó§à§Ó§ã§Ö §ß§Ö §ç§à§é§å, §é§ä§à§Ò§í §á§Ö§â§Ó§í§Û §á§à§á§Ñ§Ó§ê§Ú§Û§ã§ñ §Þ§Ö§â§Ù§Ñ§Ó§Ö§è §Ó§ã§Ñ§Õ§Ú§Ý §Ó §Þ§Ö§ß§ñ §á§å§Ý§ð. (Act One)
In VN¡¯s novel Zashchita Luzhina (¡°The Luzhin Defense,¡± 1930) little Luzhin is shakhmatnyi wunderkind (a chess prodigy):
§µ§Ø§Ö §Õ§Ñ§Ó§ß§à §ß§Ñ§é§Ñ§Ý§à§ã§î §å §ß§Ö§× §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§ß§à§Ö §à§ä§é§å§Ø§Õ§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö §à§ä §ã§í§ß§Ñ, §Ü§Ñ§Ü §Ò§å§Õ§ä§à §à§ß §å§á§Ý§í§Ý §Ü§å§Õ§Ñ-§ä§à, §Ú §Ý§ð§Ò§Ú§Ý§Ñ §à§ß§Ñ §ß§Ö §ï§ä§à§Ô§à §Ó§Ù§â§à§ã§Ý§à§Ô§à §Þ§Ñ§Ý§î§é§Ú§Ü§Ñ, §ê§Ñ§ç§Þ§Ñ§ä§ß§à§Ô§à §Ó§å§ß§Õ§Ö§â§Ü§Ú§ß§Õ§Ñ, §à §Ü§à§ä§à§â§à§Þ §å§Ø§Ö §á§Ú§ã§Ñ§Ý§Ú §Ô§Ñ§Ù§Ö§ä§í, §Ñ §ä§à§Ô§à §Þ§Ñ§Ý§Ö§ß§î§Ü§à§Ô§à, §ä§×§á§Ý§à§Ô§à, §ß§Ö§Ó§í§ß§à§ã§Ú§Þ§à§Ô§à §â§Ö§Ò§×§ß§Ü§Ñ, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Û, §é§å§ä§î §é§ä§à, §Ü§Ú§Õ§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §á§Ý§Ñ§ê§Þ§ñ §ß§Ñ §á§à§Ý §Ú §Ü§â§Ú§é§Ñ§Ý, §ã§ä§å§é§Ñ §ß§à§Ô§Ñ§Þ§Ú.
It was already some time since she had begun to experience a strange feeling of estrangement from her son, as if he had drifted away somewhere, and the one she loved was not this grown-up boy, not the chess prodigy that the newspapers were writing about, but that little warm insupportable child who at the slightest provocation would throw himself flat on the floor, screaming and drumming his feet. (chapter IV)
§°§ß §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ý §Ó §±§Ö§ä§Ö§â§Ò§å§â§Ô§Ö, §Ó §®§à§ã§Ü§Ó§Ö, §Ó §¯§Ú§Ø§ß§Ö§Þ, §Ó §¬§Ú§Ö§Ó§Ö, §Ó §°§Õ§Ö§ã§ã§Ö. §±§à§ñ§Ó§Ú§Ý§ã§ñ §ß§Ö§Ü§Ú§Û §£§Ñ§Ý§Ö§ß§ä§Ú§ß§à§Ó, §é§ä§à-§ä§à §ã§â§Ö§Õ§ß§Ö§Ö §Þ§Ö§Ø§Õ§å §Ó§à§ã§á§Ú§ä§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§Ö§Þ §Ú §Ñ§ß§ä§â§Ö§á§â§Ö§ß§Ö§â§à§Þ. §°§ä§Ö§è §ß§à§ã§Ú§Ý §ß§Ñ §â§å§Ü§Ñ§Ó§Ö §é§×§â§ß§å§ð §á§à§Ó§ñ§Ù§Ü§å -- §ä§â§Ñ§å§â §á§à §Ø§Ö§ß§Ö,-- §Ú §Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§Ý §á§â§à§Ó§Ú§ß§è§Ú§Ñ§Ý§î§ß§í§Þ §Ø§å§â§ß§Ñ§Ý§Ú§ã§ä§Ñ§Þ, §é§ä§à §ß§Ú§Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §Ò§í §ä§Ñ§Ü §à§ã§ß§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à §ß§Ö §à§ã§Þ§à§ä§â§Ö§Ý §â§à§Õ§ß§à§Û §Ù§Ö§Þ§Ý§Ú, §Ö§ã§Ý§Ú §Ò §Ö§Ô§à §ã§í§ß §ß§Ö §Ò§í§Ý §Ó§å§ß§Õ§Ö§â§Ü§Ú§ß§Õ§à§Þ.
He played in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kiev, Odessa. There appeared a certain Valentinov, a cross between tutor and manager. Luzhin senior wore a black armband ¡ª mourning for his wife ¡ª and told provincial journalists that he
would never have made such a through survey of his native land had he not had a prodigy for a son. (chapter V)
§³§ä§Ú§Ý§Ú§Ù§à§Ó§Ñ§ß§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú §Ó§à§ã§á§à§Þ§Ú§ß§Ñ§ß§Ú§ñ §á§Ú§ã§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §ã§Ñ§Þ §ß§Ö §Ù§Ñ§Þ§Ö§ä§Ú§Ý. §¯§Ö §Ù§Ñ§Þ§Ö§ä§Ú§Ý §à§ß §Ú §ä§à§Ô§à, §é§ä§à §á§â§Ú§Õ§Ñ§Ý §ã§í§ß§å §é§Ö§â§ä§í §ã§Ü§à§â§Ö§Ö "§Þ§å§Ù§í§Ü§Ñ§Ý§î§ß§à§Ô§à", §ß§Ö§Ø§Ö§Ý§Ú §ê§Ñ§ç§Þ§Ñ§ä§ß§à§Ô§à §Ó§å§ß§Õ§Ö§â§Ü§Ú§ß§Õ§Ñ,-- §é§ä§à-§ä§à §Ò§à§Ý§Ö§Ù§ß§Ö§ß§ß§à§Ö, §é§ä§à-§ä§à §Ñ§ß§Ô§Ö§Ý§î§ã§Ü§à§Ö,-- §Ú §Ô§Ý§Ñ§Ù§Ñ, §á§à§Õ§×§â§ß§å§ä§í§Ö §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§ß§à§Û §á§à§Ó§à§Ý§à§Ü§à§Û, §Ú §Ó§î§ð§ë§Ú§Ö§ã§ñ §Ó§à§Ý§à§ã§í, §Ú §á§â§à§Ù§â§Ñ§é§ß§å§ð §Ò§Ö§Ý§Ú§Ù§ß§å §Ý§Ú§è§Ñ. §¯§à §ä§Ö§á§Ö§â§î §Ò§í§Ý§à §ß§Ö§Ü§à§ä§à§â§à§Ö §Ù§Ñ§ä§â§å§Õ§ß§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö: §ï§ä§à§ä §à§é§Ú§ë§Ö§ß§ß§í§Û §à§ä §Ó§ã§ñ§Ü§à§Û §á§â§Ú§Þ§Ö§ã§Ú, §Õ§à§Ó§Ö§Õ§×§ß§ß§í§Û §Õ§à §á§â§Ö§Õ§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Û §ß§Ö§Ø§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú, §à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ù §Ö§Ô§à §ã§í§ß§Ñ §ß§Ñ§Õ§à§Ò§ß§à §Ò§í§Ý§à §à§Ü§â§å§Ø§Ú§ä§î §Ú§Ù§Ó§Ö§ã§ä§ß§í§Þ §Ò§í§ä§à§Þ. §°§Õ§ß§à §à§ß §â§Ö§ê§Ú§Ý §ä§Ó§Ö§â§Õ§à,-- §é§ä§à §ß§Ö §Õ§Ñ§ã§ä §ï§ä§à§Þ§å §â§Ö§Ò§×§ß§Ü§å §Ó§í§â§Ñ§ã§ä§Ú, §ß§Ö §ã§Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§Ö§ä §Ú§Ù §ß§Ö§Ô§à §ä§à§Ô§à §å§Ô§â§ð§Þ§à§Ô§à §é§Ö§Ý§à§Ó§Ö§Ü§Ñ, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Û §Ú§ß§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §ß§Ñ§Ó§Ö§ë§Ñ§Ý §Ö§Ô§à §Ó §¢§Ö§â§Ý§Ú§ß§Ö, §à§Õ§ß§à§ã§Ý§à§Ø§ß§à §à§ä§Ó§Ö§é§Ñ§Ý §ß§Ñ §Ó§à§á§â§à§ã§í, §ã§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý, §á§â§Ú§Ü§â§í§Ó §Ô§Ý§Ñ§Ù§Ñ, §Ú §å§ç§à§Õ§Ú§Ý, §à§ã§ä§Ñ§Ó§Ú§Ó §Ü§à§ß§Ó§Ö§â§ä §ã §Õ§Ö§ß§î§Ô§Ñ§Þ§Ú §ß§Ñ §á§à§Õ§à§Ü§à§ß§ß§Ú§Ü§Ö.
"§°§ß §å§Þ§â§×§ä §Þ§à§Ý§à§Õ§í§Þ",-- §á§â§à§Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§Ý §à§ß §Ó§ã§Ý§å§ç, §Ò§Ö§ã§á§à§Ü§à§Û§ß§à §â§Ñ§ã§ç§Ñ§Ø§Ú§Ó§Ñ§ñ §á§à §Ü§à§Þ§ß§Ñ§ä§Ö, §Ó§à§Ü§â§å§Ô §à§ä§Ü§â§í§ä§à§Û §Þ§Ñ§ê§Ú§ß§Ü§Ú, §ã§Ý§Ö§Õ§Ú§Ó§ê§Ö§Û §Ù§Ñ §ß§Ú§Þ §Ó§ã§Ö§Þ§Ú §Ò§Ý§Ú§Ü§Ñ§Þ§Ú §ã§Ó§à§Ú§ç §Ü§ß§à§á§à§Ü. "§¥§Ñ, §à§ß §å§Þ§â§×§ä §Þ§à§Ý§à§Õ§í§Þ, §Ö§Ô§à §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§î §Ò§å§Õ§Ö§ä §ß§Ö§Ú§Ù§Ò§Ö§Ø§ß§Ñ §Ú §à§é§Ö§ß§î §ä§â§à§Ô§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§Ñ. §µ§Þ§â§×§ä, §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§ñ §Ó §á§à§ã§ä§Ö§Ý§Ú §á§à§ã§Ý§Ö§Õ§ß§ð§ð §ã§Ó§à§ð §á§Ñ§â§ä§Ú§ð". §¿§ä§Ñ §Þ§í§ã§Ý§î §Ö§Þ§å §ä§Ñ§Ü §á§à§ß§â§Ñ§Ó§Ú§Ý§Ñ§ã§î, §é§ä§à §à§ß §á§à§Ø§Ñ§Ý§Ö§Ý §à §ß§Ö§Ó§à§Ù§Þ§à§Ø§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú §ß§Ñ§é§Ñ§ä§î §á§Ú§ã§Ñ§ä§î §Ü§ß§Ú§Ô§å §ã §Ü§à§ß§è§Ñ. §±§à§é§Ö§Þ§å, §ã§à§Ò§ã§ä§Ó§Ö§ß§ß§à §Ô§à§Ó§à§â§ñ, §ß§Ö§Ó§à§Ù§Þ§à§Ø§ß§à? §®§à§Ø§ß§à §á§à§á§â§à§Ò§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§î... §°§ß §á§à§Ó§×§Ý §Ò§í§Ý§à §Þ§í§ã§Ý§î §à§Ò§â§Ñ§ä§ß§í§Þ §ç§à§Õ§à§Þ,-- §à§ä §ï§ä§à§Û §ä§â§à§Ô§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Û, §ä§Ñ§Ü§à§Û §à§ä§é§×§ä§Ý§Ú§Ó§à§Û §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§Ú §ß§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Õ, §Ü §ä§å§Þ§Ñ§ß§ß§à§Þ§å §â§à§Ø§Õ§Ö§ß§Ú§ð §Ô§Ö§â§à§ñ, §ß§à §Ó§Õ§â§å§Ô §Ó§ã§ä§â§ñ§ç§ß§å§Ý§ã§ñ, §ã§Ö§Ý §Ù§Ñ §ã§ä§à§Ý §Ú §ã§ä§Ñ§Ý §Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§ä§î §ß§Ñ§ß§à§Ó§à.
The writer Luzhin did not himself notice the stylized nature of his recollection. Nor did he notice that he had endowed his son with the features of a musical rather than a chess-playing prodigy, the result being both sickly and angelic ¡ª eyes strangely veiled, curly hair, and a transparent pallor. But now he was faced with certain difficulties: this image of his son, purged of all alien matter and carried to the limits of tenderness, had to be surrounded with some sort of habitus. One thing he decided for sure ¡ª he would not let this child grow up, would not transform him into that taciturn person who sometimes called upon him in Berlin, replied to questions monosyllabically, sat there with his eyes half closed, and then went away leaving an envelope with money in it on the windowsill.
'He will die young,' he said aloud, pacing restlessly about the room and around the open typewriter, whose keys were all watching him with their pupils of reflected light. 'Yes, he will die young, his death will be logical and very moving. He will die in bed while playing his last game.' He was so taken with this thought that he regretted the impossibility of beginning the writing of the book from the end. But as a matter of fact, why was it impossible? One could try.... He started to guide his thought backwards ¡ª from this touching and so distinct death back to his hero's vague origin, but presently he thought better of it and sat down at his desk to ponder anew. (ibid.)
Luzhin senior wants to begin the writing of The Gambit (the novella that he never finishes) from the end. For the first time he begins with the colors:
§ª§ä§Ñ§Ü, §Ò§í§Ý§à §â§Ö§ê§Ö§ß§à §á§à§Ý§ß§à§ã§ä§î§ð §Ú§Þ §Ó§à§ã§á§à§Ý§î§Ù§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ, §Ò§Ý§Ñ§Ô§à§Õ§Ñ§â§ñ §Ö§Þ§å §Ý§ð§Ò§Ñ§ñ §æ§Ñ§Ò§å§Ý§Ñ §á§â§Ú§à§Ò§â§Ö§ä§Ñ§Ý§Ñ §ß§Ö§à§Ò§í§Ü§ß§à§Ó§Ö§ß§ß§å§ð §Ø§Ú§Ó§à§ã§ä§î, §á§â§Ú§Ó§Ü§å§ã §Ñ§Ó§Ñ§ß§ä§ð§â§í. §¯§à §ã§Ñ§Þ§à§Ö §Ô§Ý§Ñ§Ó§ß§à§Ö §Ö§ë§× §à§ã§ä§Ñ§Ó§Ñ§Ý§à§ã§î §á§â§Ú§Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§ä§î. §£§Ö§Õ§î §Ó§ã§× §ï§ä§à §Õ§à §ã§Ú§ç §á§à§â §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §ä§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §Ü§â§Ñ§ã§Ü§Ú, §á§â§Ñ§Ó§Õ§Ñ, §ä§×§á§Ý§í§Ö, §Ø§Ú§Ó§í§Ö, §ß§à §á§Ý§í§Ó§ê§Ú§Ö §à§ä§Õ§Ö§Ý§î§ß§í§Þ§Ú §á§ñ§ä§ß§Ñ§Þ§Ú; §ä§â§Ö§Ò§à§Ó§Ñ§Ý§à§ã§î §Ö§ë§× §ß§Ñ§Û§ä§Ú §à§á§â§Ö§Õ§Ö§Ý§×§ß§ß§í§Û §â§Ú§ã§å§ß§à§Ü, §â§Ö§Ù§Ü§å§ð §Ý§Ú§ß§Ú§ð. §£§á§Ö§â§Ó§í§Ö §á§Ú§ã§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î §§å§Ø§Ú§ß, §Ù§Ñ§Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§Ó §Ü§ß§Ú§Ô§å, §ß§Ö§Ó§à§Ý§î§ß§à §ß§Ñ§é§Ú§ß§Ñ§Ý §ã §Ü§â§Ñ§ã§à§Ü.
And so Luzhin the writer decided to utilize him [Valentinov] in full; thanks to his presence any story acquired extraordinary liveliness, a smack of adventure. But the most important part still remained to be invented. Everything he had up to now was the coloration ¡ª warm and vivid, no doubt, but floating in separate spots; he had still to find a definite design, a sharp line. For the first time the writer Luzhin had involuntarily begun with the colors. (ibid.)
At the beginning of ¡°The Event¡± Troshcheykin admires his almost finished portrait of the jeweler¡¯s son (who has black curly hair) and points out that art always moves protiv solntsa (in the counter-sun direction):
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §£§Ú§Õ§Ú§ê§î §Ý§Ú, §à§ß§Ú §Õ§à§Ý§Ø§ß§í §Ô§à§â§Ö§ä§î, §Ò§â§à§ã§Ñ§ä§î §ß§Ñ §ß§Ö§Ô§à §à§ä§Ò§Ý§Ö§ã§Ü, §ß§à §ã§á§Ö§â§Ó§Ñ §ñ §ç§à§é§å §Ù§Ñ§Ü§â§Ö§á§Ú§ä§î §à§ä§Ò§Ý§Ö§ã§Ü, §Ñ §á§à§ä§à§Þ §á§â§Ú§ß§ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §Ù§Ñ §Ö§Ô§à §Ú§ã§ä§à§é§ß§Ú§Ü§Ú. §¯§Ñ§Õ§à §á§à§Þ§ß§Ú§ä§î, §é§ä§à §Ú§ã§Ü§å§ã§ã§ä§Ó§à §Õ§Ó§Ú§Ø§Ö§ä§ã§ñ §Ó§ã§Ö§Ô§Õ§Ñ §á§â§à§ä§Ú§Ó §ã§à§Ý§ß§è§Ñ. §¯§à§Ô§Ú, §Ó§Ú§Õ§Ú§ê§î, §å§Ø§Ö §ã§à§Ó§ã§Ö§Þ §á§Ö§â§Ý§Ñ§Þ§å§ä§â§à§Ó§í§Ö. §¯§Ö§ä, §Þ§Ñ§Ý§î§é§Ú§Ü §Þ§ß§Ö §ß§â§Ñ§Ó§Ú§ä§ã§ñ! §£§à§Ý§à§ã§í §ç§à§â§à§ê§Ú: §é§å§ä§î-§é§å§ä§î §ã §é§×§â§ß§à§Û §Ü§å§â§é§Ñ§Ó§Ú§ß§Ü§à§Û. §¦§ã§ä§î §Ü§Ñ§Ü§Ñ§ñ-§ä§à §ã§Ó§ñ§Ù§î §Þ§Ö§Ø§Õ§å §Õ§â§Ñ§Ô§à§è§Ö§ß§ß§í§Þ§Ú §Ü§Ñ§Þ§ß§ñ§Þ§Ú §Ú §ß§Ö§Ô§â§Ú§ä§ñ§ß§ã§Ü§à§Û §Ü§â§à§Ó§î§ð. §º§Ö§Ü§ã§á§Ú§â §ï§ä§à §á§à§é§å§Ó§ã§ä§Ó§à§Ó§Ñ§Ý §Ó §ã§Ó§à§×§Þ "§°§ä§Ö§Ý§Ý§à". (Act One)
Thinking over the plot of his new book, old Luzhin decides podvesti nekotorye itogi (to do a little summing up):
"§±§à§â§Ñ §á§à§Õ§Ó§Ö§ã§ä§Ú §ß§Ö§Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Ö §Ú§ä§à§Ô§Ú",-- §á§à§Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§Ý §à§ß §Ú §à§Ô§Ý§ñ§Õ§Ö§Ý §á§å§ã§ä§å§ð §Ü§à§Þ§ß§Ñ§ä§å,-- §ã§Ü§Ñ§ä§Ö§â§ä§î, §ã§Ú§ß§Ú§Ö §à§Ò§à§Ú, §ß§Ñ§ä§ð§â§Þ§à§â§ä,-- §Ü§Ñ§Ü §à§Ô§Ý§ñ§Õ§í§Ó§Ñ§ð§ä §Ü§à§Þ§ß§Ñ§ä§å, §Ô§Õ§Ö §â§à§Õ§Ú§Ý§ã§ñ §Ú§Ù§Ó§Ö§ã§ä§ß§í§Û §é§Ö§Ý§à§Ó§Ö§Ü. §ª §æ§Ñ§Ò§å§Ý§Ñ §á§à§Ó§Ö§ã§ä§Ú, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§å§ð §ã§ä§Ñ§â§Ú§Ü §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §Õ§Ñ§Ó§ß§à §Ý§Ö§Ý§Ö§ñ§Ý, §á§à§Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Ý§Ñ§ã§î §Ö§Þ§å §Ó §ï§ä§à§ä §Þ§Ú§Ô §ä§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §é§ä§à §ã§à§Ù§Õ§Ñ§ß§ß§à§Û, §Ú §à§ß §á§â§Ú§Ô§Ý§Ñ§ã§Ú§Ý §Þ§í§ã§Ý§Ö§ß§ß§à §Ò§å§Õ§å§ë§Ö§Ô§à §Ò§Ú§à§Ô§â§Ñ§æ§Ñ (§á§Ñ§â§Ñ§Õ§à§Ü§ã§Ñ§Ý§î§ß§í§Þ §à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ù§à§Þ §ã§ä§Ñ§ß§à§Ó§Ú§Ó§ê§Ö§Ô§à§ã§ñ, §á§à §Þ§Ö§â§Ö §á§â§Ú§Ò§Ý§Ú§Ø§Ö§ß§Ú§ñ §Ü §ß§Ö§Þ§å §Ó§à §Ó§â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ß§Ú, §Ó§ã§× §á§â§Ú§Ù§â§Ñ§é§ß§Ö§Ö, §Ó§ã§× §à§ä§Õ§Ñ§Ý§×§ß§ß§Ö§Ö) §á§à§Ó§ß§Ú§Þ§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§Ö§Ö §à§ã§Þ§à§ä§â§Ö§ä§î §ï§ä§å §ã§Ý§å§é§Ñ§Û§ß§å§ð §Ü§à§Þ§ß§Ñ§ä§å, §Ô§Õ§Ö §â§à§Õ§Ú§Ý§Ñ§ã§î §á§à§Ó§Ö§ã§ä§î "§¤§Ñ§Þ§Ò§Ú§ä".
Time to do a little summing up, he thought and looked round the empty room ¡ª tablecloth, blue wallpaper, still life ¡ª the way one looks at a room where a famous man was born. And old Luzhin mentally invited his future biographer (who as one
came nearer to him in time became paradoxically more and more insubstantial, more and more remote) to take a good close look at this chance room where the novella The Gambit had been evolved. (chapter V)
In ¡°The Event¡± Troshcheykin refuses to speak with Lyubov¡¯ about their life together and mentions podvedenie idiotskikh itogov (the idiotic summing up):
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §Á §ß§Ö §ç§à§é§å §ä§Ö§Ò§ñ §Þ§å§é§Ú§ä§î. §Á §ç§à§é§å §á§à§Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§ä§î §ç§à§ä§î §â§Ñ§Ù §ã §ä§à§Ò§à§Û §ã§Ö§â§î§×§Ù§ß§à.
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §³§Ý§Ñ§Ó§Ñ §Ò§à§Ô§å, §Ñ §ä§à §ä§í §Ü§Ñ§Ü §Õ§Ú§ä§ñ §à§ä§ß§à§ã§Ú§ê§î§ã§ñ §Ü §à§á§Ñ§ã§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú.
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §¯§Ö§ä, §ñ §ß§Ö §à§Ò §ï§ä§à§Û §à§á§Ñ§ã§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú §ã§à§Ò§Ú§â§Ñ§ð§ã§î §Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§ä§î, §Ñ §Ó§à§à§Ò§ë§Ö §à §ß§Ñ§ê§Ö§Û §Ø§Ú§Ù§ß§Ú §ã §ä§à§Ò§à§Û.
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §¡ -- §ß§Ö§ä, §ï§ä§à -- §å§Ó§à§Ý§î. §®§ß§Ö §ã§Ö§Û§é§Ñ§ã §ß§Ö §Õ§à §Ø§Ö§ß§ã§Ü§Ú§ç §â§Ñ§Ù§Ô§à§Ó§à§â§à§Ó, §ñ §Ù§ß§Ñ§ð §ï§ä§Ú §â§Ñ§Ù§Ô§à§Ó§à§â§í, §ã §á§à§Õ§ã§é§Ú§ä§í§Ó§Ñ§ß§Ú§Ö§Þ §à§Ò§Ú§Õ §Ú §á§à§Õ§Ó§Ö§Õ§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö§Þ §Ú§Õ§Ú§à§ä§ã§Ü§Ú§ç §Ú§ä§à§Ô§à§Ó. §®§Ö§ß§ñ §ã§Ö§Û§é§Ñ§ã §Ò§à§Ý§î§ê§Ö §Ú§ß§ä§Ö§â§Ö§ã§å§Ö§ä, §á§à§é§Ö§Þ§å §ß§Ö §Ú§Õ§×§ä §ï§ä§à§ä §á§â§à§Ü§Ý§ñ§ä§í§Û §ã§í§ë§Ú§Ü. §¡§ç, §§ð§Ò§Ñ, §Õ§Ñ §á§à§ß§Ú§Þ§Ñ§Ö§ê§î §Ý§Ú §ä§í, §é§ä§à §Þ§í §ß§Ñ§ç§à§Õ§Ú§Þ§ã§ñ §Ó §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Û, §ã§Þ§Ö§â§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Û... (Act Three)
One of the characters in ¡°The Event,¡± Mikhey Mikheevich Meshaev (Meshaev the Second, Antonina Pavlovna¡¯s last guest, the occultist who reads Lyubov¡¯s palm and casually says that Barbashin left the city and went abroad forever) has the same name and patronymic as Mikhey Mikheevich Krutitski, the main character in Ostrovski¡¯s play Ne bylo grosha, da vdrug altyn ("The Easy Money," 1872). Ostrovski is the author of Svoi lyudi ¨C sochtyomsya (¡°It¡¯s a Family Affair. We¡¯ll Settle It Among Ourselves,¡± 1849). In a letter to Luzhin¡¯s father Valentinov uses the phrase svoi ¨C sochtyomsya:
§£§á§â§à§é§Ö§Þ, §£§Ñ§Ý§Ö§ß§ä§Ú§ß§à§Ó §Ó §à§é§Ö§â§Ö§Õ§ß§à§Þ §á§Ú§ã§î§Þ§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§Ý§à§Ø§Ú§Ý, §é§ä§à §Ó§ã§Ö §â§Ñ§ã§ç§à§Õ§í §á§à §ã§à§Õ§Ö§â§Ø§Ñ§ß§Ú§ð §ã§í§ß§Ñ §Ó§à§Ù§î§Þ§×§ä §ß§Ñ §ã§Ö§Ò§ñ, §é§ä§à §ã§Ó§à§Ú -- §ã§à§é§ä§×§Þ§ã§ñ (§ä§Ñ§Ü §Ú §ß§Ñ§á§Ú§ã§Ñ§Ý).
However, Valentinov proposed in one of his next letters to assume all the costs of the boy's maintenance himself ¡ª they would settle up later. (chapter V)
The name Ostrovski comes from ostrov (island). In VN¡¯s play Izobretenie Val¡¯sa (¡°The Waltz Invention,¡± 1938) Waltz wants to rule the world from Palmora (in the English version, ¡°the island of Palmera¡±):
§£§Ñ§Ý§î§ã. §¬§Ñ§Ü, §Õ§à§â§à§Ô§à§Û §á§à§Ý§Ü§à§Ó§ß§Ú§Ü, §â§Ñ§Ù§Ó§Ö §ñ §Ó§Ñ§ã §Ö§ë§× §ß§Ö §á§à§ã§Ó§ñ§ä§Ú§Ý §Ó §ã§Ó§à§ð §Þ§Ñ§Ý§Ö§ß§î§Ü§å§ð §ä§Ñ§Û§ß§å? §¬§Ñ§Ü§Ñ§ñ §ß§Ö§à§ã§Þ§à§ä§â§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§ã§ä§î! §¥§Ñ, §å§Ö§Ù§Ø§Ñ§ð.
§±§à§Ý§Ü§à§Ó§ß§Ú§Ü. §ª §Ü§å§Õ§Ñ, §ã§Þ§Ö§ð §ã§á§â§à§ã§Ú§ä§î?
§£§Ñ§Ý§î§ã. §¡, §Ó§à§ä §Ó §ï§ä§à§Þ-§ä§à §Ó§ã§ñ §ê§ä§å§Ü§Ñ. §£§í, §Ü§Ñ§Ø§Ö§ä§ã§ñ, §ß§Ö §à§é§Ö§ß§î §ã§Ú§Ý§î§ß§í §Ó §Ô§Ö§à§Ô§â§Ñ§æ§Ú§Ú?
§±§à§Ý§Ü§à§Ó§ß§Ú§Ü. §®§à§Ú §å§ã§á§Ö§ç§Ú §Ó §ï§ä§à§Û §à§Ò§Ý§Ñ§ã§ä§Ú §Ü§â§Ú§ä§Ú§Ü§Ö §ß§Ö §á§à§Õ§Ý§Ö§Ø§Ñ§ä.
§£§Ñ§Ý§î§ã. §´§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §Ó§í, §Ü§à§ß§Ö§é§ß§à, §ã§Ý§í§ç§Ñ§Ý§Ú §à §ß§Ö§Ò§à§Ý§î§ê§à§Þ §à§ã§ä§â§à§Ó§Ö §±§Ñ§Ý§î§Þ§à§â§Ñ §Ó §Ó§à§ã§î§Þ§Ú§ã§ä§Ñ§ç §Þ§à§â§ã§Ü§Ú§ç §Þ§Ú§Ý§ñ§ç §à§ä §ð§Ø§ß§Ö§Û§ê§Ö§Ô§à §Þ§í§ã§Ñ §Ó§Ñ§ê§Ö§Û §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§í? §¡§Ô§Ñ! §¯§Ö §Ù§ß§Ñ§Ö§ä§Ö!
§±§à§Ý§Ü§à§Ó§ß§Ú§Ü. §´§Ñ§Ü§à§Ô§à §à§ã§ä§â§à§Ó§Ñ §ß§Ö§ä.
§£§Ñ§Ý§î§ã. §¥§Ó§à§Û§Ü§Ñ §ã §Þ§Ú§ß§å§ã§à§Þ, §á§à§Ý§Ü§à§Ó§ß§Ú§Ü. §³§Ý§à§Ó§à§Þ, §ï§ä§à§ä §à§ã§ä§â§à§Ó §Þ§ß§à§Û §â§Ö§Ü§Ó§Ú§Ù§Ú§â§à§Ó§Ñ§ß. §®§ß§Ö §Õ§Ñ§Ø§Ö §Ü§Ñ§Ø§Ö§ä§ã§ñ §á§à §Ó§â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ß§Ñ§Þ, §é§ä§à §Ú §ß§Ñ§é§Ñ§Ý-§ä§à §ñ §ã §Ó§Ñ§ê§Ö§Û §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§í §Ú§Þ§Ö§ß§ß§à §á§à§ä§à§Þ§å, §é§ä§à §ã§â§Ö§Õ§Ú §Ó§Ñ§ê§Ú§ç §Ó§Ý§Ñ§Õ§Ö§ß§Ú§Û §Ö§ã§ä§î §ä§Ñ§Ü§à§Û §ã§Ñ§Þ§à§è§Ó§Ö§ä. §ª§Ù§Ò§Ñ§Ó§Ú§Ý§à §Þ§Ö§ß§ñ §à§ä §Ý§Ú§ê§ß§Ú§ç §ç§Ý§à§á§à§ä... §¯§Ö§Ø§ß§Ö§Û§ê§Ú§Û §Ü§Ý§Ú§Þ§Ñ§ä, §Ó§Ö§é§ß§Ñ§ñ §Ó§Ö§ã§ß§Ñ, §â§Ñ§Õ§å§Ø§ß§í§Ö §á§ä§Ú§é§Ü§Ú... §ª §Ó§Ö§Ý§Ú§é§Ú§ß§Ñ §Ü§Ñ§Ü §â§Ñ§Ù §Þ§ß§Ö §á§à§Õ§ç§à§Õ§ñ§ë§Ñ§ñ: §±§Ñ§Ý§î§Þ§à§â§å §Þ§à§Ø§ß§à §à§Ò§ì§Ö§ç§Ñ§ä§î §ß§Ñ §Ñ§Ó§ä§à§Þ§à§Ò§Ú§Ý§Ö §á§à §Ò§Ö§â§Ö§Ô§à§Ó§à§Û §Õ§à§â§à§Ô§Ö §Ó... §Ó §ã§Ü§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §é§Ñ§ã§à§Ó, §³§à§ß?
§³§à§ß. §³§Ü§Ñ§Ø§Ö§Þ, §Ó §á§ñ§ä§î, §Ö§ã§Ý§Ú §ß§Ö §ã§Ý§Ú§ê§Ü§à§Þ §ä§à§â§à§á§Ú§ä§î§ã§ñ. (Act Three)
According to the Colonel (who is not very strong at geography), such an island does not exist. In ¡°The Luzhin Defense¡± Petrishchev (Luzhin¡¯s former classmate whom Luzhin meets at a Russian charity ball in Berlin) mentions their geography teacher:
«§±§â§Ö§Ü§â§Ñ§ã§ß§í§Ö §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §Ó§â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ß§Ñ, ¨C §Ü§â§Ú§Ü§ß§å§Ý §±§Ö§ä§â§Ú§ë§Ö§Ó. ¨C §±§à§Þ§ß§Ú§ä§Ö, §á§à§Þ§ß§Ú§ê§î, §§å§Ø§Ú§ß, §£§Ñ§Ý§Ö§ß§ä§Ú§ß§Ñ §ª§Ó§Ñ§ß§í§é§Ñ? §¬§Ñ§Ü §à§ß §ã §Ü§Ñ§â§ä§à§Û §Þ§Ú§â§Ñ §å§â§Ñ§Ô§Ñ§ß§à§Þ §Ó§Ý§Ö§ä§Ñ§Ý §Ó §Ü§Ý§Ñ§ã§ã?»
'Wonderful times, they were,' cried Petrishchev. 'Do you remember our geographer, Luzhin? How he used to fly like a hurricane into the classroom, holding a map of the world?¡¯ (chapter XII)
According to Petrishchev, he has traveled the whole world:
«§Á, §Ù§ß§Ñ§Ö§ä§Ö, §à§Ò§ì§Ö§Ù§Õ§Ú§Ý §Ó§Ö§ã§î §Þ§Ú§â¡ §¬§Ñ§Ü§Ú§Ö §Ø§Ö§ß§ë§Ú§ß§í §ß§Ñ §¬§å§Ò§Ö! §ª§Ý§Ú §Ó§à§ä, §ß§Ñ§á§â§Ú§Þ§Ö§â, §à§Õ§ß§Ñ§Ø§Õ§í §Ó §Õ§Ø§å§ß§Ô§Ý§ñ§ç¡»
«§°§ß §Ó§ã§Ö §Ó§â§×§ä, ¨C §â§Ñ§Ù§Õ§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §Ý§Ö§ß§Ú§Ó§í§Û §Ô§à§Ý§à§ã §ã§Ù§Ñ§Õ§Ú. ¨C §¯§Ú§Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §à§ß §ß§Ú §Ó §Ü§Ñ§Ü§Ú§ç §Õ§Ø§å§ß§Ô§Ý§ñ§ç §ß§Ö §Ò§í§Ó§Ñ§Ý».
«§¯§å, §Ù§Ñ§é§Ö§Þ §ä§í §Ó§ã§× §á§à§â§ä§Ú§ê§î», ¨C §á§â§à§ä§ñ§ß§å§Ý §±§Ö§ä§â§Ú§ë§Ö§Ó, §à§Ò§à§â§Ñ§é§Ú§Ó§Ñ§ñ§ã§î. «§£§í §Ö§Ô§à §ß§Ö §ã§Ý§å§ê§Ñ§Û§ä§Ö, ¨C §á§â§à§Õ§à§Ý§Ø§Ñ§Ý §Ý§í§ã§í§Û §Õ§à§Ý§Ô§à§Ó§ñ§Ù§í§Û §Ô§à§ã§á§à§Õ§Ú§ß, §à§Ò§Ý§Ñ§Õ§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î §Ý§Ö§ß§Ú§Ó§à§Ô§à §Ô§à§Ý§à§ã§Ñ. ¨C §°§ß §Ü§Ñ§Ü §á§à§á§Ñ§Ý §Ú§Ù §²§à§ã§ã§Ú§Ú §Ó §±§Ñ§â§Ú§Ø, §ä§Ñ§Ü §ã §ä§Ö§ç §á§à§â §ä§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §ä§â§Ö§ä§î§Ö§Ô§à §Õ§ß§ñ §Ú §Ó§í§Ö§ç§Ñ§Ý». «§±§à§Ù§Ó§à§Ý§î, §§å§Ø§Ú§ß, §ä§Ö§Ò§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§ã§ä§Ñ§Ó§Ú§ä§î», ¨C §ã§à §ã§Þ§Ö§ç§à§Þ §ß§Ñ§é§Ñ§Ý §±§Ö§ä§â§Ú§ë§Ö§Ó; §ß§à §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §á§à§ã§á§Ö§ê§ß§à §å§Õ§Ñ§Ý§ñ§Ý§ã§ñ, §Ó§à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ó §Ô§à§Ý§à§Ó§å §Ó §á§Ý§Ö§é§Ú §Ú §à§ä §ã§Ü§à§â§à§Û §ç§à§Õ§î§Ò§í §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§ß§à §Ó§Ú§Ý§ñ§ñ §Ú §Ó§Ù§Õ§â§Ñ§Ô§Ú§Ó§Ñ§ñ.
You know I've traveled the whole world.... What women in Cuba! Or that time in the jungle, for instance...'
'It's all lies,' sounded a lazy voice from behind. 'He was never in any jungle whatsoever....'
'Now why do you spoil everything?' drawled Petrishchev, turning around. 'Don't listen to him,' continued a bald, lanky person, the owner of the lazy voice. 'He has been living in France since the Revolution and left Paris for the first time the day before yesterday.' 'Luzhin, allow me to introduce you,' began Petrishchev with a laugh; but Luzhin hastily made off, tucking his head into his shoulders and weaving strangely and quivering from the speed of his walk. (ibid.)
Thinking about the unpleasant meeting with his classmate, Luzhin remembers Sherlock Holmes (the hero of a book that he enjoyed in childhood):
§¯§à §ï§ä§à §Ò§í§Ý§à §ß§Ö §ã§à§Ó§ã§Ö§Þ §ä§Ñ§Ü. §¹§ä§à-§ä§à §à§ã§ä§Ñ§Ý§à§ã§î, ¨C §Ù§Ñ§Ô§Ñ§Õ§Ü§Ñ, §Ù§Ñ§ß§à§Ù§Ñ. §±§à §ß§à§é§Ñ§Þ §à§ß §ã§ä§Ñ§Ý §Ù§Ñ§Õ§å§Þ§í§Ó§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §ß§Ñ§Õ §ä§Ö§Þ, §á§à§é§Ö§Þ§å §ä§Ñ§Ü §Ø§å§ä§Ü§Ñ §Ò§í§Ý§Ñ §ï§ä§Ñ §Ó§ã§ä§â§Ö§é§Ñ. §¬§à§ß§Ö§é§ß§à, §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §Ó§ã§ñ§Ü§Ú§Ö §à§ä§Õ§Ö§Ý§î§ß§í§Ö §ß§Ö§á§â§Ú§ñ§ä§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú, ¨C §ä§à, §é§ä§à §±§Ö§ä§â§Ú§ë§Ö§Ó §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ-§ä§à §Þ§å§é§Ú§Ý §Ö§Ô§à §Ó §ê§Ü§à§Ý§Ö, §Ñ §ä§Ö§á§Ö§â§î §Ó§ã§á§à§Þ§ß§Ú§Ý §Ü§à§ã§Ó§Ö§ß§ß§í§Þ §à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ù§à§Þ §ß§Ö§Ü§å§ð §â§Ñ§ã§ä§Ö§â§Ù§Ñ§ß§ß§å§ð §Ü§ß§Ú§Ø§Ü§å, §Ú §ä§à, §é§ä§à §è§Ö§Ý§í§Û §Þ§Ú§â, §á§à§Ý§ß§í§Û §ï§Ü§Ù§à§ä§Ú§é§Ö§ã§Ü§Ú§ç §ã§à§Ò§Ý§Ñ§Ù§ß§à§Ó, §à§Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §à§Ò§Þ§Ñ§ß§à§Þ §ç§Ý§í§ë§Ñ, §Ú §å§Ø§Ö §ß§Ö§Ý§î§Ù§ñ §Ò§í§Ý§à §Ó§á§â§Ö§Õ§î §Õ§à§Ó§Ö§â§ñ§ä§î §á§â§à§ã§á§Ö§Ü§ä§Ñ§Þ. §¯§à §ß§Ö §ã§Ñ§Þ§Ñ §Ó§ã§ä§â§Ö§é§Ñ §Ò§í§Ý§Ñ §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ê§ß§Ñ, §Ñ §é§ä§à-§ä§à §Õ§â§å§Ô§à§Ö, ¨C §ä§Ñ§Û§ß§í§Û §ã§Þ§í§ã§Ý §ï§ä§à§Û §Ó§ã§ä§â§Ö§é§Ú, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Û §ã§Ý§Ö§Õ§à§Ó§Ñ§Ý§à §â§Ñ§Ù§Ô§Ñ§Õ§Ñ§ä§î. §°§ß §ã§ä§Ñ§Ý §á§à §ß§à§é§Ñ§Þ §ß§Ñ§á§â§ñ§Ø§Ö§ß§ß§à §Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§ä§î, §Ü§Ñ§Ü §Ò§í§Ó§Ñ§Ý§à §Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§Ý §º§Ö§â§Ý§à§Ü §ß§Ñ§Õ §ã§Ú§Ô§Ñ§â§ß§í§Þ §á§Ö§á§Ý§à§Þ, ¨C §Ú §á§à§ã§ä§Ö§á§Ö§ß§ß§à §Ö§Þ§å §ã§ä§Ñ§Ý§à §Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ, §é§ä§à §Ü§à§Þ§Ò§Ú§ß§Ñ§è§Ú§ñ §Ö§ë§Ö §ã§Ý§à§Ø§ß§Ö§Ö, §é§Ö§Þ §à§ß §Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§Ý §ã§á§Ö§â§Ó§Ñ, §é§ä§à §Ó§ã§ä§â§Ö§é§Ñ §ã §±§Ö§ä§â§Ú§ë§Ö§Ó§í§Þ §ä§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §á§â§à§Õ§à§Ý§Ø§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö §é§Ö§Ô§à-§ä§à, §Ú §é§ä§à §ß§å§Ø§ß§à §Ú§ã§Ü§Ñ§ä§î §Ô§Ý§å§Ò§Ø§Ö, §Ó§Ö§â§ß§å§ä§î§ã§ñ §ß§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Õ, §á§Ö§â§Ö§Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§ä§î §Ó§ã§Ö §ç§à§Õ§í §Ø§Ú§Ù§ß§Ú §à§ä §Ò§à§Ý§Ö§Ù§ß§Ú §Õ§à §Ò§Ñ§Ý§Ñ.
But this was not quite so. Something remained ¡ª a riddle, a splinter. At nights he began to meditate over why this meeting had made him so uneasy. Of course there were all sorts of individual unpleasantnesses ¡ª the fact that Petrishchev had once tormented him in school and had now referred obliquely to a certain torn book about little Tony, and the fact that a whole world, full of exotic temptations, had turned out to be a braggart's rigmarole, and it would no longer be possible in future to trust travel folders. But it was not the meeting itself that was frightening but something else ¡ª this meeting's secret meaning that he had to divine. He began to think intensely at nights, the way Sherlock had been wont to do over cigar ash ¡ª and gradually it began to seem that the combination was even more complex than he had at first thought, that the meeting with Petrishchev was only the continuation of something, and that it was necessary to look deeper, to return and replay all the moves of his life from his illness until the ball. (ibid.)
In ¡°The Event¡± Lyubov¡¯ calls her lover Ryovshin Sherlok Kholms iz Barnaula (¡°Sherlock Holmes from Barnaul¡±):
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §¯§Ñ§Ó§Ö§â§ß§à§Ö, §ß§Ú§é§Ö§Ô§à §ß§Ö§ä? §ª§Ý§Ú §Ó§ã§×-§ä§Ñ§Ü§Ú §á§à§Ù§Ñ§ß§ñ§Ý§Ú§ã§î §Ý§ð§Ò§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ã§Ü§Ú§Þ §ã§í§ã§Ü§à§Þ?
§²§×§Ó§ê§Ú§ß. §¯§å §é§ä§à §ä§í §à§á§ñ§ä§î §ß§Ñ §Þ§Ö§ß§ñ §à§á§à§Ý§é§Ñ§Ö§ê§î§ã§ñ... §´§í §Ø§Ö... §Ó§í §Ø§Ö... §Ù§ß§Ñ§Ö§ä§Ö, §é§ä§à §ñ...
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §Á §Ù§ß§Ñ§ð, §é§ä§à §Ó§í §à§Ò§à§Ø§Ñ§Ö§ä§Ö §â§Ñ§Ù§Ó§Ý§Ö§Ü§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §é§å§Ø§Ú§Þ§Ú §Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§Þ§Ú. §º§Ö§â§Ý§à§Ü §·§à§Ý§Þ§ã §Ú§Ù §¢§Ñ§â§ß§Ñ§å§Ý§Ñ.
§²§×§Ó§ê§Ú§ß. §¥§Ñ §ß§Ö§ä, §á§â§Ñ§Ó§à §Ø§Ö...
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §£§à§ä §á§à§Ü§Ý§ñ§ß§Ú§ä§Ö§ã§î §Þ§ß§Ö, §é§ä§à §Ó§í §Ö§Ô§à §Ò§à§Ý§î§ê§Ö §ß§Ö §Ó§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý§Ú.
§³§ä§â§Ñ§ê§ß§í§Û §Ù§Ó§à§ß. §£§Ò§Ö§Ô§Ñ§Ö§ä §´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß.
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §©§Ö§â§Ü§Ñ§Ý§à §â§Ñ§Ù§Ò§Ú§ä§à! §¤§ß§å§ã§ß§í§Û §Þ§Ñ§Ý§î§é§Ú§ê§Ü§Ñ §â§Ñ§Ù§Ò§Ú§Ý §Þ§ñ§é§à§Þ §Ù§Ö§â§Ü§Ñ§Ý§à!
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §¤§Õ§Ö? §¬§Ñ§Ü§à§Ö?
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §¥§Ñ §Ó §á§Ö§â§Ö§Õ§ß§Ö§Û. §±§à§Õ§Ú-§á§à§Õ§Ú-§á§à§Õ§Ú. §±§à§Ý§ð§Ò§å§Û§ã§ñ!
§§ð§Ò§à§Ó§î. §Á §ä§Ö§Ò§ñ §á§â§Ö§Õ§å§á§â§Ö§Ø§Õ§Ñ§Ý§Ñ, §é§ä§à §á§à§ã§Ý§Ö §ã§Ö§Ñ§ß§ã§Ñ §à§ß §Õ§à§Ý§Ø§Ö§ß §ã§â§Ñ§Ù§å §à§ä§á§â§Ñ§Ó§Ý§ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §Õ§à§Þ§à§Û, §Ñ §ß§Ö §ê§á§Ñ§â§Ú§ä§î §Ó §æ§å§ä§Ò§à§Ý. §¬§à§ß§Ö§é§ß§à, §à§ß §ã§ç§à§Õ§Ú§ä §ã §å§Þ§Ñ, §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §á§ñ§ä§î §Þ§ñ§é§Ö§Û...
(§¢§í§ã§ä§â§à §å§ç§à§Õ§Ú§ä.)
§´§â§à§ë§Ö§Û§Ü§Ú§ß. §¤§à§Ó§à§â§ñ§ä, §à§ä§Ó§â§Ñ§ä§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§Ñ§ñ §á§â§Ú§Þ§Ö§ä§Ñ. §Á §Ó §á§â§Ú§Þ§Ö§ä§í §ß§Ö §Ó§Ö§â§ð, §ß§à §á§à§é§Ö§Þ§å-§ä§à §à§ß§Ú §å §Þ§Ö§ß§ñ §Ó §Ø§Ú§Ù§ß§Ú §Ó§ã§Ö§Ô§Õ§Ñ §ã§Ò§í§Ó§Ñ§Ý§Ú§ã§î. §¬§Ñ§Ü §ß§Ö§á§â§Ú§ñ§ä§ß§à... §¯§å, §â§Ñ§ã§ã§Ü§Ñ§Ù§í§Ó§Ñ§Û§ä§Ö. (Act Two)
After the sitting the jeweler¡¯s son (Troshcheykin¡¯s model) plays football and smashes the mirror in the entrance hall. In ¡°The Luzhin Defense¡± little Luzhin never plays football with his classmates:
§²§ñ§Õ§à§Þ §ã§ä§à§ñ§Ý §Ó§à§ã§á§Ú§ä§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î §Ú, §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §ã§Ö§â§í§Û §â§Ö§Ù§Ú§ß§à§Ó§í§Û §Þ§ñ§é, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Þ §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ý§Ú §Ó §æ§å§ä§Ò§à§Ý, §á§à§Õ§Ü§Ñ§ä§Ú§Ý§ã§ñ §ã§Ý§å§é§Ñ§Û§ß§à §Ü §Ö§Ô§à §ß§à§Ô§Ñ§Þ, §å§é§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î §ã§Ý§à§Ó§Ö§ã§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú, §Ú§ß§ã§ä§Ú§ß§Ü§ä§Ú§Ó§ß§à §á§â§à§Õ§à§Ý§Ø§Ñ§ñ §à§é§Ñ§â§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§Ñ§ß§Ú§Ö, §ã§Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§Ý §Ó§Ú§Õ, §é§ä§à §ç§à§é§Ö§ä §Ö§Ô§à §á§ß§å§ä§î, §ß§Ö§Ý§à§Ó§Ü§à §á§à§ä§à§á§ä§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ, §é§å§ä§î §ß§Ö §á§à§ä§Ö§â§ñ§Ý §Ô§Ñ§Ý§à§ê§å §Ú §â§Ñ§ã§ã§Þ§Ö§ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §ã §Ò§à§Ý§î§ê§Ú§Þ §Õ§à§Ò§â§à§Õ§å§ê§Ú§Ö§Þ. §°§ä§Ö§è §á§à§Õ§Õ§Ö§â§Ø§Ñ§Ý §Ö§Ô§à §Ù§Ñ §Ý§à§Ü§à§ä§î, §Ú §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §Þ§Ý§Ñ§Õ§ê§Ú§Û, §å§Ý§å§é§Ú§Ó §Þ§Ô§ß§à§Ó§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö, §Ó§Ö§â§ß§å§Ý§ã§ñ §Ó §á§Ö§â§Ö§Õ§ß§ð§ð, §Ô§Õ§Ö §å§Ø§Ö §Ò§í§Ý§à §ã§à§Ó§ã§Ö§Þ §ã§á§à§Ü§à§Û§ß§à, §Ú, §ã§Ü§â§í§ä§í§Û §Ó§Ö§ê§Ñ§Ý§Ü§Ñ§Þ§Ú, §Ò§Ý§Ñ§Ø§Ö§ß§ß§à §Ù§Ö§Ó§Ñ§Ý §ê§Ó§Ö§Û§è§Ñ§â. §¹§Ö§â§Ö§Ù §Õ§Ó§Ö§â§ß§à§Ö §ã§ä§Ö§Ü§Ý§à, §Þ§Ö§Ø§Õ§å §é§å§Ô§å§ß§ß§í§ç §Ý§å§é§Ö§Û §Ù§Ó§Ö§Ù§Õ§à§à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ù§ß§à§Û §â§Ö§ê§×§ä§Ü§Ú, §à§ß §å§Ó§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý, §Ü§Ñ§Ü §à§ä§Ö§è §Ó§Õ§â§å§Ô §ã§ß§ñ§Ý §á§Ö§â§é§Ñ§ä§Ü§å, §Ò§í§ã§ä§â§à §á§à§á§â§à§ë§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §ã §Ó§à§ã§á§Ú§ä§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§Ö§Þ §Ú §Ú§ã§é§Ö§Ù §á§à§Õ §Ó§à§â§à§ä§Ñ§Þ§Ú. §´§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §ä§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §à§ß §Ó§í§á§à§Ý§Ù §à§á§ñ§ä§î §Ú, §à§ã§ä§à§â§à§Ø§ß§à §à§Ò§ç§à§Õ§ñ §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ó§ê§Ú§ç, §á§â§à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §ß§Ñ§Ý§Ö§Ó§à, §á§à§Õ §Ñ§â§Ü§å, §Ô§Õ§Ö §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §ã§Ý§à§Ø§Ö§ß§í §Õ§â§à§Ó§Ñ. §´§Ñ§Þ, §á§à§Õ§ß§ñ§Ó §Ó§à§â§à§ä§ß§Ú§Ü, §à§ß §ã§Ö§Ý §ß§Ñ §á§à§Ý§Ö§ß§î§ñ.
§´§Ñ§Ü §à§ß §á§â§à§ã§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý §à§Ü§à§Ý§à §Õ§Ó§å§ç§ã§à§ä §á§ñ§ä§Ú§Õ§Ö§ã§ñ§ä§Ú §Ò§à§Ý§î§ê§Ú§ç §á§Ö§â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ß, §Õ§à §ä§à§Ô§à §Ô§à§Õ§Ñ, §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §à§ß §Ò§í§Ý §å§Ó§Ö§Ù§×§ß §Ù§Ñ §Ô§â§Ñ§ß§Ú§è§å. §ª§ß§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §Ó§à§ã§á§Ú§ä§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î §ß§Ö§à§Ø§Ú§Õ§Ñ§ß§ß§à §á§à§ñ§Ó§Ý§ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §Ú§Ù-§Ù§Ñ §å§Ô§Ý§Ñ. «§¹§ä§à §Ø §ä§í, §§å§Ø§Ú§ß, §Ó§ã§Ö §ã§Ú§Õ§Ú§ê§î §Ü§å§é§Ö§Û? §±§à§Ò§Ö§Ô§Ñ§Ý §Ò§í §ã §ä§à§Ó§Ñ§â§Ú§ë§Ñ§Þ§Ú». §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §Ó§ã§ä§Ñ§Ó§Ñ§Ý §ã §Õ§â§à§Ó, §Ó§í§ç§à§Õ§Ú§Ý §Ú§Ù-§á§à§Õ §Ñ§â§Ü§Ú §Ó §é§Ö§ä§í§â§×§ç§å§Ô§à§Ý§î§ß§í§Û §Ù§Ñ§Õ§ß§Ú§Û §Õ§Ó§à§â, §Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§Ý §ß§Ö§ã§Ü§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §ê§Ñ§Ô§à§Ó, §ã§ä§Ñ§â§Ñ§ñ§ã§î §ß§Ñ§Û§ä§Ú §ä§à§é§Ü§å, §â§Ñ§Ó§ß§à§à§ä§ã§ä§à§ñ§ë§å§ð §à§ä §ä§Ö§ç §ä§â§×§ç §Ö§Ô§à §à§Õ§ß§à§Ü§Ý§Ñ§ã§ã§ß§Ú§Ü§à§Ó, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Ö §Ò§í§Ó§Ñ§Ý§Ú §à§ã§à§Ò§Ö§ß§ß§à §ã§Ó§Ú§â§Ö§á§í §Ó §ï§ä§à§ä §é§Ñ§ã, §ê§Ñ§â§Ñ§ç§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §à§ä §Þ§ñ§é§Ñ, §á§å§ë§Ö§ß§ß§à§Ô§à §é§î§Ú§Þ-§ä§à §Ù§Ó§å§é§ß§í§Þ §á§Ú§ß§Ü§à§Þ, §Ú, §å§Õ§à§ã§ä§à§Ó§Ö§â§Ú§Ó§ê§Ú§ã§î, §é§ä§à §Ó§à§ã§á§Ú§ä§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î §Õ§Ñ§Ý§Ö§Ü§à, §Ó§à§Ù§Ó§â§Ñ§ë§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §Ü §Õ§â§à§Ó§Ñ§Þ.
Next to Luzhin senior stood the literature teacher and when the large gray rubber ball the boys used for soccer happened to roll up to his feet, the literature teacher, instinctively continuing that enchanting tradition, made as if he wanted to kick it, but only shifted awkwardly from foot to foot and almost lost one of his galoshes, and laughed with great good humor. The father supported him by the elbow, and Luzhin junior, grasping the opportunity, returned to the vestibule, where all was now quiet and where the janitor, concealed by clothes racks, was heard yawning blissfully. Through the glass of the door, between the cast-iron rays of the star-shaped grille, he saw his father suddenly remove his glove, quickly take leave of the teacher and disappear through the gate. Only then did he creep out again, and, carefully skirting the players, make his way left to where firewood was stacked under the archway. There, raising his collar, he sat down on a pile of logs.
In this way he sat through approximately two hundred and fifty long intermissions, until the year that he was taken abroad. Sometimes the teacher would suddenly appear from around a corner. 'Why are you always sitting in a heap, Luzhin? You should run about a bit with the other boys.' Luzhin would get up from the woodpile, trying to find a point equidistant from those three of his classmates who were especially fierce at this hour, shy away from the ball propelled by someone's resounding kick and, having reassured himself that the teacher was far off, would return to the woodpile. (chapter II)
The parents of Luzhin¡¯s bride try to talk her daughter out of marrying Luzhin. Her father wants to seduce her with the Italian lakes and mentions Isola Bella:
"§£§à§ä §é§ä§à,-- §ã§ß§à§Ó§Ñ §Ù§Ñ§Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§Ý §à§ä§Ö§è.-- §®§í §ä§Ö§Ò§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§Ý§Ñ§Ô§Ñ§Ö§Þ §á§à§Ö§ç§Ñ§ä§î §ß§Ñ §ª§ä§Ñ§Ý§î§ñ§ß§ã§Ü§Ú§Ö §à§Ù§×§â§Ñ. §±§à§Ö§ç§Ñ§ä§î §ã §Þ§Ñ§Þ§à§Û §ß§Ñ §ª§ä§Ñ§Ý§î§ñ§ß§ã§Ü§Ú§Ö §à§Ù§×§â§Ñ. §´§í §ß§Ö §Þ§à§Ø§Ö§ê§î §ã§Ö§Ò§Ö §á§â§Ö§Õ§ã§ä§Ñ§Ó§Ú§ä§î, §Ü§Ñ§Ü§Ú§Ö §ä§Ñ§Þ §â§Ñ§Û§ã§Ü§Ú§Ö §Þ§Ö§ã§ä§Ñ. §Á §á§à§Þ§ß§ð, §é§ä§à §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §ñ §Ó§á§Ö§â§Ó§í§Ö §å§Ó§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý §ª§Ù§à§Ý§Ñ §¢§Ö§Ý§Ý§Ñ..." §µ §ß§Ö§× §Ù§Ñ§á§â§í§Ô§Ñ§Ý§Ú §á§Ý§Ö§é§Ú §à§ä §Þ§Ö§Ý§Ü§à§Ô§à §ã§Þ§Ö§ç§Ñ; §Ù§Ñ§ä§Ö§Þ §à§ß§Ñ §á§à§Õ§ß§ñ§Ý§Ñ §Ô§à§Ý§à§Ó§å §Ú §á§â§à§Õ§à§Ý§Ø§Ñ§Ý§Ñ §ä§Ú§ç§à §ã§Þ§Ö§ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ, §ß§Ö §à§ä§Ü§â§í§Ó§Ñ§ñ §Ô§Ý§Ñ§Ù. "§°§Ò§ì§ñ§ã§ß§Ú, §é§Ö§Ô§à §Ø§Ö §ä§í §ç§à§é§Ö§ê§î",-- §ã§á§â§à§ã§Ú§Ý§Ñ §Þ§Ñ§ä§î §Ú §ç§Ý§à§á§ß§å§Ý§Ñ §á§à §ã§ä§à§Ý§å. "§£§à-§á§Ö§â§Ó§í§ç,-- §à§ä§Ó§Ö§ä§Ú§Ý§Ñ §à§ß§Ñ,-- §é§ä§à§Ò§í §ß§Ö §Ò§í§Ý§à §ä§Ñ§Ü§à§Ô§à §Ü§â§Ú§Ü§Ñ. §£§à-§Ó§ä§à§â§í§ç, §é§ä§à§Ò§í §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §ã§à§Ó§ã§Ö§Þ §á§à§á§â§Ñ§Ó§Ú§Ý§ã§ñ". "§ª§Ù§à§Ý§Ñ §¢§Ö§Ý§Ý§Ñ §ï§ä§à §Ù§ß§Ñ§é§Ú§ä §±§â§Ö§Ü§â§Ñ§ã§ß§í§Û §°§ã§ä§â§à§Ó,¡±-- §ä§à§â§à§á§Ý§Ú§Ó§à §á§â§à§Õ§à§Ý§Ø§Ñ§Ý §à§ä§Ö§è, §ã§ä§Ñ§â§Ñ§ñ§ã§î §Þ§ß§à§Ô§à§Ù§ß§Ñ§é§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Û §å§Ø§Ú§Þ§Ü§à§Û §á§à§Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§ä§î §Ø§Ö§ß§Ö, §é§ä§à §à§ß §à§Õ§Ú§ß §ã§á§â§Ñ§Ó§Ú§ä§ã§ñ.
'Here's what,' her father began again. 'We suggest you go to the Italian lakes. Go with Mamma to the Italian lakes. You can't imagine what heavenly spots there are there. I remember the first time I saw Isola Bella...' Her shoulders began to twitch from halfsuppressed laughter; then she lifted her head and continued to laugh softly, keeping her eyes closed. 'What is it you want?' asked her mother and banged on the table. 'First,' she replied, 'that you stop shouting. Second, that Luzhin gets completely
well.' 'Isola Bella means Beautiful Island,' continued her father hastily, trying with a meaningful grimace to intimate to his wife that he alone would manage it. (chapter X)
Isola Bella brings to mind two characters in ¡°The Waltz Invention:¡± Anabella (General Berg¡¯s beautiful daughter whom Waltz wants to take with him to Palmora) and Isabella (one of the five whores procured by Son, the journalist who runs errands for Waltz). When Luzhin first meets his bride at a German spa, he remembers the face of a young prostitute whom he once saw:
§³§ä§Ñ§â§Ñ§ñ§ã§î §å§ñ§ã§ß§Ú§ä§î §ã§Ö§Ò§Ö §ï§ä§à §Ó§á§Ö§é§Ñ§ä§Ý§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö §é§Ö§Ô§à-§ä§à §à§é§Ö§ß§î §Ù§ß§Ñ§Ü§à§Þ§à§Ô§à, §à§ß §ã§à§Ó§Ö§â§ê§Ö§ß§ß§à §ß§Ö§Ü§ã§ä§Ñ§ä§Ú, §ß§à §ã §á§à§ä§â§ñ§ã§Ñ§ð§ë§Ö§Û §ñ§ã§ß§à§ã§ä§î§ð §Ó§ã§á§à§Þ§ß§Ú§Ý §Ý§Ú§è§à §Þ§à§Ý§à§Õ§Ö§ß§î§Ü§à§Û §á§â§à§ã§ä§Ú§ä§å§ä§Ü§Ú §ã §Ô§à§Ý§í§Þ§Ú §á§Ý§Ö§é§Ñ§Þ§Ú, §Ó §é§×§â§ß§í§ç §é§å§Ý§Ü§Ñ§ç, §ã§ä§à§ñ§Ó§ê§Ö§Û §Ó §à§ã§Ó§Ö§ë§×§ß§ß§à§Û §á§â§à§Û§Þ§Ö §Õ§Ó§Ö§â§Ú, §Ó
§ä§×§Þ§ß§à§Þ §á§Ö§â§Ö§å§Ý§Ü§Ö, §Ó §Ò§Ö§Ù§í§Þ§ñ§ß§ß§à§Þ §Ô§à§â§à§Õ§Ö. §ª §ß§Ö§Ý§Ö§á§í§Þ §à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ù§à§Þ §Ö§Þ§å §á§à§Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Ý§à§ã§î, §é§ä§à §Ó§à§ä §ï§ä§à -- §à§ß§Ñ, §é§ä§à §Ó§à§ä, §à§ß§Ñ §ñ§Ó§Ú§Ý§Ñ§ã§î §ä§Ö§á§Ö§â§î, §ß§Ñ§Õ§Ö§Ó §á§â§Ú§Ý§Ú§é§ß§à§Ö §á§Ý§Ñ§ä§î§Ö, §ã§Ý§Ö§Ô§Ü§Ñ §á§à§Õ§å§â§ß§Ö§Ó, §ã§Ý§à§Ó§ß§à §à§ß§Ñ §ã§Þ§í§Ý§Ñ §Ü§Ñ§Ü§Ú§Ö-§ä§à §à§Ò§à§Ý§î§ã§ä§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§í§Ö §â§å§Þ§ñ§ß§Ñ, §ß§à §é§Ö§â§Ö§Ù §ï§ä§à §ã§ä§Ñ§Ý§Ñ §Ò§à§Ý§Ö§Ö §Õ§à§ã§ä§å§á§ß§à§Û. §´§Ñ§Ü§à§Ó§à §Ò§í§Ý§à §á§Ö§â§Ó§à§Ö §Ó§á§Ö§é§Ñ§ä§Ý§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö, §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §à§ß §å§Ó§Ú§Õ§Ö§Ý §Ö§×, §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §Ù§Ñ§Þ§Ö§ä§Ú§Ý §ã §å§Õ§Ú§Ó§Ý§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö§Þ, §é§ä§à §ã §ß§Ö§Û §Ô§à§Ó§à§â§Ú§ä. §ª §Ö§Þ§å §Ò§í§Ý§à §ß§Ö§Þ§ß§à§Ô§à §Õ§à§ã§Ñ§Õ§ß§à, §é§ä§à §à§ß§Ñ §ß§Ö §ã§à§Ó§ã§Ö§Þ §ä§Ñ§Ü §ç§à§â§à§ê§Ñ, §Ü§Ñ§Ü §Þ§à§Ô§Ý§Ñ §Ò§í§ä§î, §Ü§Ñ§Ü §Þ§Ö§â§Ö§ë§Ú§Ý§Ñ§ã§î §á§à §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§ß§í§Þ §á§â§Ú§Ù§ß§Ñ§Ü§Ñ§Þ, §â§Ñ§ã§ã§Ö§ñ§ß§ß§í§Þ §Ó §Ö§Ô§à §á§â§à§ê§Ý§à§Þ.
Trying to unravel in his mind this impression of something very familiar he recalled quite irrelevantly but with stunning clarity the face of a bare-shouldered, black-stockinged young prostitute, standing in a lighted doorway in a dark side street in a
nameless town. And in some ridiculous way it seemed to him that this was she, that she had come now, primly dressed and somewhat less pretty, as if she had washed off some bewitching makeup but because of this had become more accessible. This was his first impression when he saw her, when he noticed with surprise that he was actually talking to her. It irked him a little that she was not quite as good-looking as she might have been, judging by odd dreamy signs strewn about in his past. (chapter VI)
Waltz¡¯s Palmora (or ¡°the island of Palmera¡±) brings to mind the palm tree in the drawing room of the flat rented for Luzhin and his wife:
§°§Ü§ß§à §Ó §Ó§Ñ§ß§ß§à§Û §Ü§à§Þ§ß§Ñ§ä§Ö, §ã§ß§Ú§Ù§å §Ô§à§Ý§å§Ò§à§Ó§Ñ§ä§à-§Ú§ã§Ü§â§Ú§ã§ä§à§Ö, §Ò§å§Õ§ä§à §á§à§Õ§Ö§â§ß§å§ä§à§Ö §Þ§à§â§à§Ù§à§Þ, §à§Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Ý§à§ã§î §ß§Ñ§Õ§ä§â§Ö§ã§ß§å§ä§í§Þ §Ó §ã§Ó§à§Ö§Û §Ó§Ö§â§ç§ß§Ö§Û §á§â§à§Ù§â§Ñ§é§ß§à§Û §é§Ñ§ã§ä§Ú, §Ú §á§â§Ú§ê§Ý§à§ã§î §Ó§ã§ä§Ñ§Ó§Ú§ä§î §ß§à§Ó§à§Ö §ã§ä§Ö§Ü§Ý§à. §£ §Ü§å§ç§ß§Ö §Ú §Ó §Ý§ð§Õ§ã§Ü§à§Û §á§à§Ò§Ö§Ý§Ú§Ý§Ú §á§à§ä§à§Ý§Ü§Ú. §±§à§Õ §ã§Ö§ß§î§ð §ã§Ñ§Ý§à§ß§ß§à§Û §á§Ñ§Ý§î§Þ§í §Ó§í§â§à§ã §Ô§â§Ñ§Þ§Þ§à§æ§à§ß. §£§à§à§Ò§ë§Ö §Ø§Ö §Ô§à§Ó§à§â§ñ, §à§ã§Þ§Ñ§ä§â§Ú§Ó§Ñ§ñ §Ú §á§à§Õ§á§â§Ñ§Ó§Ý§ñ§ñ §ï§ä§å "§Ü§Ó§Ñ§â§ä§Ú§â§å §ß§Ñ §Ò§Ñ§â§ã§Ü§å§ð §ß§à§Ô§å, §ã§ß§ñ§ä§å§ð §ß§Ñ §ã§Ü§à§â§å§ð §â§å§Ü§å",-- §Ü§Ñ§Ü §ê§å§ä§Ú§Ý §à§ä§Ö§è,-- §à§ß§Ñ §ß§Ö §Þ§à§Ô§Ý§Ñ §à§ä§Õ§Ö§Ý§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ §à§ä §Þ§í§ã§Ý§Ú, §é§ä§à §Ó§ã§× §ï§ä§à §ä§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §Ó§â§Ö§Þ§Ö§ß§ß§à§Ö, §á§â§Ú§Õ§×§ä§ã§ñ, §Ó§Ö§â§à§ñ§ä§ß§à, §å§Ó§Ö§Ù§ä§Ú §§å§Ø§Ú§ß§Ñ §Ú§Ù §¢§Ö§â§Ý§Ú§ß§Ñ, §â§Ñ§Ù§Ó§Ý§Ö§Ü§Ñ§ä§î §Ö§Ô§à §Õ§â§å§Ô§Ú§Þ§Ú §ã§ä§â§Ñ§ß§Ñ§Þ§Ú.
The bathroom window, whose lower part was of sparkly blue-frosted glass, turned out to be cracked in its upper, transparent part and a new pane had to be put in. In the kitchen and servant's room the ceilings were whitewashed anew. A phonograph grew up in the shade of the drawing room palm tree. But generally speaking, as she inspected and arranged this apartment 'rented with a long view but at short notice' ¡ª as her father joked ¡ª she could not throw off the thought that all this was only temporary, that no doubt it would be necessary to take Luzhin away from Berlin, to amuse him with other countries. (chapter XI)
In the apartment of the Luzhins there is a woodcut showing wunderkind (a child prodigy) playing on an enormous piano:
§§Ñ§Þ§á§Ñ §à§Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Ý§Ñ§ã§î §Ó §Þ§Ñ§Ó§â§Ú§ä§Ñ§ß§ã§Ü§à§Þ §ã§ä§Ú§Ý§Ö, §Ù§Ñ§ß§Ñ§Ó§Ö§ã§Ü§Ú §ß§Ñ §à§Ü§ß§Ñ§ç §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §Ø§×§Ý§ä§í§Ö, §é§ä§à §ã§å§Ý§Ú§Ý§à §á§à §å§ä§â§Ñ§Þ §à§Ò§Þ§Ñ§ß§ß§í§Û §ã§à§Ý§ß§Ö§é§ß§í§Û §ã§Ó§Ö§ä,-- §Ú §Ó §á§â§à§ã§ä§Ö§ß§Ü§Ö §Ó§Ú§ã§Ö§Ý§Ñ §Ô§â§Ñ§Ó§ð§â§Ñ: §Ó§å§ß§Õ§Ö§â§Ü§Ú§ß§Õ §Ó §ß§à§é§ß§à§Û §â§å§Ò§Ñ§ê§à§ß§Ü§Ö §Õ§à §á§ñ§ä §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ö§ä §ß§Ñ §à§Ô§â§à§Þ§ß§à§Þ §â§à§ñ§Ý§Ö, §Ú §à§ä§Ö§è, §Ó §ã§Ö§â§à§Þ §ç§Ñ§Ý§Ñ§ä§Ö, §ã§à §ã§Ó§Ö§é§à§Û §Ó §â§å§Ü§Ö, §Ù§Ñ§Þ§Ö§â, §á§â§Ú§à§ä§Ü§â§í§Ó §Õ§Ó§Ö§â§î.
The lamp turned out to be in the Mauritanian style, the curtains over the windows were yellow, promising a deceptive sunlight in the mornings ¡ª and a woodcut in the wall space between the windows showed a child prodigy in a nightgown
that reached to his heels playing on an enormous piano, while his father, wearing a gray dressing gown and carrying a candle, stood stock-still, with the door ajar. (ibid.)
This woodcut brings to mind the dream of Luzhin senior:
§§å§Ø§Ú§ß §ã§ä§Ñ§â§ê§Ú§Û, §§å§Ø§Ú§ß, §á§Ú§ã§Ñ§Ó§ê§Ú§Û §Ü§ß§Ú§Ô§Ú, §é§Ñ§ã§ä§à §Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§Ý §à §ä§à§Þ, §é§ä§à §Þ§à§Ø§Ö§ä §Ó§í§Û§ä§Ú §Ú§Ù §Ö§Ô§à §ã§í§ß§Ñ. §£ §Ö§Ô§à §Ü§ß§Ú§Ô§Ñ§ç, ¨C §Ñ §Ó§ã§Ö §à§ß§Ú, §Ü§â§à§Þ§Ö §Ù§Ñ§Ò§í§ä§à§Ô§à §â§à§Þ§Ñ§ß§Ñ «§µ§Ô§Ñ§â», §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §ß§Ñ§á§Ú§ã§Ñ§ß§í §Õ§Ý§ñ §à§ä§â§à§Ü§à§Ó, §ð§ß§à§ê§Ö§Û, §å§é§Ö§ß§Ú§Ü§à§Ó §ã§â§Ö§Õ§ß§Ö§å§é§Ö§Ò§ß§í§ç §Ù§Ñ§Ó§Ö§Õ§Ö§ß§Ú§Û §Ú §á§â§à§Õ§Ñ§Ó§Ñ§Ý§Ú§ã§î §Ó §Ü§â§Ö§á§Ü§Ú§ç, §Ü§â§Ñ§ã§à§é§ß§í§ç §á§Ö§â§Ö§á§Ý§×§ä§Ñ§ç, ¨C §á§à§ã§ä§à§ñ§ß§ß§à §Þ§Ö§Ý§î§Ü§Ñ§Ý §à§Ò§â§Ñ§Ù §Ò§Ö§Ý§à§Ü§å§â§à§Ô§à §Þ§Ñ§Ý§î§é§Ú§Ü§Ñ, §Ú §Ó§Ù§Ò§Ñ§Ý§Þ§à§ê§ß§à§Ô§à, §Ú §Ù§Ñ§Õ§å§Þ§é§Ú§Ó§à§Ô§à, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Û §á§â§Ö§Ó§â§Ñ§ë§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §Ó §ã§Ü§â§Ú§á§Ñ§é§Ñ §Ú§Ý§Ú §Ø§Ú§Ó§à§á§Ú§ã§è§Ñ, §ß§Ö §ä§Ö§â§ñ§ñ §á§â§Ú §ï§ä§à§Þ §ß§â§Ñ§Ó§ã§ä§Ó§Ö§ß§ß§à§Û §ã§Ó§à§Ö§Û §Ü§â§Ñ§ã§à§ä§í. §¦§Õ§Ó§Ñ §å§Ý§à§Ó§Ú§Þ§å§ð §à§ã§à§Ò§Ö§ß§ß§à§ã§ä§î, §à§ä§Ý§Ú§é§Ñ§Ó§ê§å§ð §Ö§Ô§à §ã§í§ß§Ñ §à§ä §Ó§ã§Ö§ç §ä§Ö§ç §Õ§Ö§ä§Ö§Û, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§í§Ö, §á§à §Ö§Ô§à §Þ§ß§Ö§ß§Ú§ð, §Õ§à§Ý§Ø§ß§í §Ò§í§Ý§Ú §ã§ä§Ñ§ä§î §Ý§ð§Õ§î§Þ§Ú, §ß§Ú§é§Ö§Þ §ß§Ö §Ù§Ñ§Þ§Ö§é§Ñ§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§í§Þ§Ú (§Ö§ã§Ý§Ú §á§â§Ö§Õ§á§à§Ý§à§Ø§Ú§ä§î, §é§ä§à §ã§å§ë§Ö§ã§ä§Ó§å§ð§ä §ä§Ñ§Ü§Ú§Ö §Ý§ð§Õ§Ú), §à§ß §á§à§ß§Ú§Þ§Ñ§Ý, §Ü§Ñ§Ü §ä§Ñ§Û§ß§à§Ö §Ó§à§Ý§ß§Ö§ß§Ú§Ö §ä§Ñ§Ý§Ñ§ß§ä§Ñ, §Ú, §ä§Ó§×§â§Õ§à §á§à§Þ§ß§ñ, §é§ä§à §á§à§Ü§à§Û§ß§í§Û §ä§Ö§ã§ä§î §Ò§í§Ý §Ü§à§Þ§á§à§Ù§Ú§ä§à§â§à§Þ (§Õ§à§Ó§à§Ý§î§ß§à, §Ó§á§â§à§é§Ö§Þ, §ã§å§ç§Ú§Þ §Ú §ã§Ü§Ý§à§ß§ß§í§Þ, §Ó §Ù§â§Ö§Ý§í§Ö §Ô§à§Õ§í, §Ü §ã§à§Þ§ß§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§à§Þ§å §Ò§Ý§Ú§ã§ä§Ñ§ß§Ú§ð §Ó§Ú§â§ä§å§à§Ù§ß§à§ã§ä§Ú), §à§ß §ß§Ö §â§Ñ§Ù, §Ó §á§â§Ú§ñ§ä§ß§à§Û §Þ§Ö§é§ä§Ö, §á§à§ç§à§Ø§Ö§Û §ß§Ñ §Ý§Ú§ä§à§Ô§â§Ñ§æ§Ú§ð, §ã§á§å§ã§Ü§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §ß§à§é§î§ð §ã§à §ã§Ó§Ö§é§à§Û §Ó §Ô§à§ã§ä§Ú§ß§å§ð, §Ô§Õ§Ö §Ó§å§ß§Õ§Ö§â§Ü§Ú§ß§Õ §Ó §Ò§Ö§Ý§à§Û §â§å§Ò§Ñ§ê§à§ß§Ü§Ö §Õ§à §á§ñ§ä §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ö§ä §ß§Ñ §à§Ô§â§à§Þ§ß§à§Þ §é§×§â§ß§à§Þ §â§à§ñ§Ý§Ö.
Luzhin senior, the Luzhin who wrote books, often thought of how his son would turn out. Through his books (and they all, except for a forgotten novel called Fumes, were written for boys, youths and high school students and came in sturdy colorful covers) there constantly flitted the image of a fair-haired lad, 'headstrong,' 'brooding,' who later turned into a violinist or a painter, without losing his moral beauty in the process. The barely perceptible peculiarity that distinguished his son from all those children who, in his opinion, were destined to become completely unremarkable people (given that such people exist) he interpreted as the secret stir of talent, and baring firmly in mind the fact that his deceased father-in-law had been a composer (albeit a somewhat arid one and susceptible, in his mature years, to the doubtful splendors of virtuosity), he more than once, in a pleasant dream resembling a lithograph, descended with a candle at night to the drawing room where a Wunderkind, dressed in a
white, nightshirt that came down to his heels, would be playing on an enormous, black piano. (chapter II)
The word wunderkind occurs in VN¡¯s novel five times. In ¡°The Event¡± Troshcheykin works on a painting Mal¡¯chik s pyat¡¯yu myachami (¡°The Boy with Five Balls¡±). The action in ¡°The Event¡± takes place on the fiftieth birthday of Antonina Pavlovna Opoyashin yubov¡¯s and Vera¡¯s mother), a lady writer who reads at the birthday party her fairy tale Voskresayushchiy lebed¡¯ (¡°The Resurrecting Swan¡±). The fairy tale¡¯s title brings to mind lebedinye pesni (the swan songs) of Luzhin senior:
§°§ß §ã§â§Ñ§Ø§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §ß§Ñ §ä§å§â§ß§Ú§â§Ñ§ç §ã §Ý§å§é§ê§Ú§Þ§Ú §â§å§ã§ã§Ü§Ú§Þ§Ú §ê§Ñ§ç§Þ§Ñ§ä§Ú§ã§ä§Ñ§Þ§Ú, §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ý §Ó§ã§Ý§Ö§á§å§ð, §é§Ñ§ã§ä§à §Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§Ý §à§Õ§Ú§ß §á§â§à§ä§Ú§Ó §é§Ö§Ý§à§Ó§Ö§Ü §Õ§Ó§Ñ§Õ§è§Ñ§ä§Ú §Ý§ð§Ò§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§Ö§Û. §§å§Ø§Ú§ß §ã§ä§Ñ§â§ê§Ú§Û, §Þ§ß§à§Ô§à §Ý§Ö§ä §ã§á§å§ã§ä§ñ (§Ó §ä§Ö §Ô§à§Õ§í, §Ü§à§Ô§Õ§Ñ §Ü§Ñ§Ø§Õ§í§Û §Ö§Ô§à §æ§Ö§Ý§î§Ö§ä§à§ß §Ó §ï§Þ§Ú§Ô§â§Ñ§ß§ä§ã§Ü§à§Û §Ô§Ñ§Ù§Ö§ä§Ö §Ü§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§Ý§ã§ñ §Ö§Þ§å §ã§Ñ§Þ§à§Þ§å §Ö§Ô§à §Ý§Ö§Ò§Ö§Õ§Ú§ß§à§Û §á§Ö§ã§ß§Ö§Û, §Ú §¢§à§Ô §Ù§ß§Ñ§Ö§ä, §ã§Ü§à§Ý§î§Ü§à §Ò§í§Ý§à §ï§ä§Ú§ç §Ý§Ö§Ò§Ö§Õ§Ú§ß§í§ç §á§Ö§ã§Ö§ß, §á§à§Ý§ß§í§ç §Ý§Ú§â§Ú§Ü§Ú §Ú §à§á§Ö§é§Ñ§ä§à§Ü), §Ù§Ñ§Õ§å§Þ§Ñ§Ý §á§à§Ó§Ö§ã§ä§î §Ü§Ñ§Ü §â§Ñ§Ù §à §ä§Ñ§Ü§à§Þ §Þ§Ñ§Ý§î§é§Ú§Ü§Ö §ê§Ñ§ç§Þ§Ñ§ä§Ú§ã§ä§Ö, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§à§Ô§à §à§ä§Ö§è (§á§à §Ü§ß§Ú§Ø§Ü§Ö ¨C §á§â§Ú§×§Þ§ß§í§Û) §Ó§à§Ù§Ú§ä §Ú§Ù §Ô§à§â§à§Õ§Ñ §Ó §Ô§à§â§à§Õ.
He battled at tournaments with the best Russian players. He often took on a score of amateurs. Sometimes he played blind. Luzhin senior, many years later (in the years when his every contribution to ¨¦migr¨¦ newspapers seemed to him to be his swan song ¡ª and goodness knows how many of these swan songs there were, full of lyricism and misprints) planned to write a novella about precisely such a chess-playing small boy, who was taken from city to city by his father (foster father in the novella). (chapter V)
It is Valentinov who takes little Luzhin from city to city. A man of undoubted talent, Valentinov is also an inventor:
§°§ß §Ú§Ù§à§Ò§â§×§Ý §á§à§ç§à§Õ§ñ §å§Õ§Ú§Ó§Ú§ä§Ö§Ý§î§ß§å§ð §Þ§Ö§ä§Ñ§Ý§Ý§Ú§é§Ö§ã§Ü§å§ð §Þ§à§ã§ä§à§Ó§å§ð, §Ü§à§ä§à§â§Ñ§ñ §Ò§í§Ý§Ñ §Ú§ã§á§â§à§Ò§à§Ó§Ñ§ß§Ñ §Ó §±§Ö§ä§Ö§â§Ò§å§â§Ô§Ö, §ß§Ñ §¯§Ö§Ó§ã§Ü§à§Þ, §Ò§Ý§Ú§Ù §¬§Ñ§Ù§Ñ§ß§ã§Ü§à§Ô§à §ã§à§Ò§à§â§Ñ.
He invented in passing an amazing metallic pavement that was tried in St. Petersburg on the Nevsky, near Kazan Cathedral. (ibid.)
It seems to me that two days after her mother¡¯s birthday, on her dead son¡¯s fifth birthday, Lyubov¡¯ commits suicide (stabs herself, like Shakespeare¡¯s Othello) and in the ¡°sleep of death¡± dreams of Waltz, a madman who dreams of his Telemort (or Telethanasia, a death machine of immense destructive power). The action in ¡°The Waltz Invention¡± thus takes place in a dream of Troshcheykin¡¯s wife Lyubov¡¯.
Alexey Sklyarenko