Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0011416, Wed, 27 Apr 2005 16:48:18 -0700

Subject
Fwd: Re: Camera Obscura=Laughter in the Dark?
Date
Body
The first English translation was called Camera Obscura--I believe it
was the first English version of any of N's novels (?)--and it was by
someone named Wylie. N. annotated this pulp-covered edition with his
own retranslation/re-writing of the text, which is significantly
changed. (This amazing artifact is in the Berg Collection.) Partly to
distinguish it from the earlier version, and partly to reflect a
greater emphasis on cinema, perhaps, he retitled it "Laughter in the
Dark."

David Brody


On Apr 27, 2005, at 9:02 AM, Donald B. Johnson wrote:

> Is it on record anywhere why the original Russian title of _Laughter in
> the Dark_ was changed? I would have thought that the original - _Camera
> Obscura_ - needed no translating? Just curious.
>
> Brian Howell
>
> ----- End forwarded message -----
>
> EDNOTE. My recollection is that the English translation (London) did
> keep the
> the Latin title of the Russian original.
>

----- End forwarded message -----