Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

At the beginning of VN's novel Ada (1969) Van Veen (the narrator and main character) mentions the Severn Tories (Severnïya Territorii), that tesselated protectorate still lovingly called ‘Russian’ Estoty, which commingles, granoblastically and organically, with ‘Russian’ Canady, otherwise ‘French’ Estoty:

Describing Kim Beauharnais’s album, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions the kimera (chimera, camera):

At the end of the dinner in 'Ursus' (the best Franco-Estotian restaurant in Manhattan Major) Ada declares "we are satiated with moonlight and strawberry soufflé:"

‘I declare we are satiated with moonlight and strawberry soufflé — the latter, I fear, has not quite "risen" to the occasion,’ remarked Ada in her archest, Austen-maidenish manner. ‘Let’s all go to bed. You have seen our huge bed, pet? Look, our cavalier is yawning "fit to declansh his masher"’ (vulgar Ladore cant).

At the end of the dinner in 'Ursus' (the best Franco-Estotian restaurant in Manhattan Major) Ada declares "we are satiated with moonlight and strawberry soufflé:"

‘I declare we are satiated with moonlight and strawberry soufflé — the latter, I fear, has not quite "risen" to the occasion,’ remarked Ada in her archest, Austen-maidenish manner. ‘Let’s all go to bed. You have seen our huge bed, pet? Look, our cavalier is yawning "fit to declansh his masher"’ (vulgar Ladore cant).

Describing his debauch à trois with Ada and Lucette in his Manhattan penthouse apartment, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions a karavanchik of cigarettes on the bedtable:

After the dinner in ‘Ursus’ (the best Franco-Estotian restaurant in Manhattan Major) with their half-sister Lucette Ada (who wants to show Lucette Kim Beauharnais's album) tells Van that he cannot demand pudicity on the part of a delphinet:

‘My dear,’ said Van, ‘do help me. She told me about her Valentian estanciero but now the name escapes me and I hate bothering her.’

Describing the library of Ardis Hall, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions the mating habits of the fly Serromyia amorata Poupart and says that he prefers to burn than to be slurped up alive by the Cheramie:

Describing the games that Ada invented and that she wants him to play with her, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) compares the arms of a linden that stretched toward those of an oak to a green-spangled beauty flying to meet her strong father hanging by his feet from the trapeze:

On the same morning, or a couple of days later, on the terrace:

According to 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), King Alfin's question "What emperor?" has remained his only memorable mot:

In VN's novel Otchayanie ("Despair," 1934) Hermann mentions his wife's institutskie furirchiki v podushku (school-dormitory habit of having the giggles in bed):