Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0011482, Wed, 11 May 2005 08:05:15 -0700

Subject
Fw: Colors in Ada J-2May9
Date
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----- Forwarded message from jansy@aetern.us -----
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 19:55:41 -0300
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
Reply-To: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
Subject: Fw: Colors in Ada J-2May9
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum

Dear List,

Since we entered into a discussion about colors, I would like to share with you
certain questions that arose from "Ada":

How often the "greenness" of Lucette derives from Mlle Larivière´s green-tinted
glasses? And, also, Van actually makes reference to "sunglasses... that twist
our concept of space...influence our style of speech", would this reference
lead us somehow to the L-disaster ( Lettrocalamity/Lammer/Amber) ?

1.Actually it was Lucette, the younger one (...)veiled by an odd air of
remoteness that children, especially impish children, retain(...). Mlle
Larivière suddenly looked at Van over her green spectacles - and he had to cope
with another warm welcome.

2. He put on his tinted glasses and watched her stand on the diving board, her
ribs framing the hollow of her intake as she prepared to ardis into the amber.
He wondered, in a mental footnote that might come handy some day, if sunglasses
or any other varieties of vision, which certainly twist our concept of 'space,'
do not also influence our style of speech. The two well-formed lassies, the
nurse, the prurient merman, the natatorium master, all looked on with Van.


3. V.Darkbloom´s notes: lammer: amber (Fr: l'ambre), allusion to electricity.

3a. 'What was that?' exclaimed Marina, whom certicle storms terrified even more
than they did the Antiamberians of Ladore County.

'Sheet lightning,' suggested Van.

'If you ask me,' said Demon, turning on his chair to consider the billowing
drapery, 'I'd guess it was a photographer's flash.

3b. Sounds have colors, colors have smells. The fire of Lucette's amber runs
through the night of Ada's odor and ardor, and stops at the threshold of Van's
lavender goat.

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