Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0012822, Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:27:39 -0400

Subject
The most transgressive book ever published ("souffler" in Lolita
and beyond)
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[EDNOTE. James Twiggs sends a link to "As American as Apple Pie," an
essay by Christopher Hitchens in Vanity Fair, which traces the cultural
history and increased acceptability of fellatio. The opening focuses on
Lolita, in particular. -- SES]

[. . .] Vladimir Nabokov spoke perfect Russian and French before he
became the unrivaled master of English prose, and his 1955 masterpiece,
Lolita, was considered the most transgressive book ever published. (It
may still be.) Why, then, could he not bring himself to write the words
"blow" or "blowjob"? [. . .]

Here's a link to the rest of Hitchen's provocative essay :
http://www.vanityfair.com/features/general/articles/060607fege05

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