Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

Describing IPH (a lay Institute of Preparation for the Hereafter) in Canto Three of his poem, John Shade (the poet in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962) mentions l’if, lifeless tree, grand potato and Yewshade:

L'if, lifeless tree! Your great Maybe, Rabelais:

Describing the King’s escape from Zembla, Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions matted elfinwood:

In his essay The Texture of Time (1922) Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions Alice in the Camera Obscura, a book that was given to him on his eighth birthday:

On Demonia (aka Antiterra, Earth’s twin planet on which Ada is set) Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago (1957) is known as Les Amours du Docteur Mertvago, a mystical romance by a pastor:

At the end of his Commentary Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) quotes a Zemblan saying that, as a child, he has heard from his nurse:

In VN’s novel Ada (1969) Ada mentally transliterates the name of her gynecologist, Seitz (Dr Krolik’s cousin), as Zayats (“Dr Hare”):

In a letter of July 14, 1959, to Gleb Struve VN parodies Pasternak’s style in Doctor Zivago (1957) and mentions St. Pafnuty’s Day:

Dear Gleb Petrovich,

Describing his visit to Brownhill (Ada’s school for girls), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions his Chose Professor who argues that a novel which can be appreciated only by quelque petite blanchisseuse who has examined the author’s dirty linen is, artistically, a failure:

They talked about their studies and teachers, and Van said:

Describing his first summer at Ardis, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions Ardisville (a place near Ladore):

In the epilogue of VN’s novel Ada (1969) Ada suggests that, after her death, Van should marry a local Gauguin girl or Yolande Kickshaw:

Nirvana, Nevada, Vaniada. By the way, should I not add, my Ada, that only at the very last interview with poor dummy-mummy, soon after my premature — I mean, premonitory — nightmare about, ‘You can, Sir,’ she employed mon petit nom, Vanya, Vanyusha — never had before, and it sounded so odd, so tend... (voice trailing off, radiators tinkling).