Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0009153, Tue, 13 Jan 2004 19:57:50 -0800

Subject
Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: creepy thoughts on ADA
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello" <jansy@aetern.us>
To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
>
> In relation to the defecatory theme under discussion, I haven´t yet
> reached the exact page in SO from where I extracted the following: : "
> Although he was a great admirer of James Joyce´s Ulysses, Nabokov found
> Joyce´s " association between sex and latrine" quite disgusting and he
even
> took them to be some sort of sub-human produce of Joyce´s own mind and not
> of his characters´ madness.
> About Finnegan´s Wake VN wrote: " a formless and dull mass of phony
> folklore, a cold pudding of a book, a persistent snore in the next room...
> Finnegan´s Wake´s façade disguises a very conventional and drab tenement
> house, and only the infrequent snatches of heavenly intonations redeem it
> from utter insipidity".
> According to VN, Joyce´s mistake " in those otherwise marvellous
> soliloquies of his consists in that he gives too much verbal body to his
> thoughts" .
>
> In Ada2, Ardis II, chapter 6 the variation of "polished structures" brings
> up the "structural thematic" now associating it with the crucifixion that
> one commentator ( Boyd?) had already linked to Lucette´s destiny:
> "..had a structurally perfect stool ( its cruciform symmetry reminding him
> of the morning before his duel )" and...
> ( Penguin 1971 Ed., page 306)
>
> Jansy
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello" <jansy@aetern.us>
>
> Concerning Van´s "greasy matters" discussed in this posting, I
remember
> that VN was very critical of James Joyce´s clear enjoyment of defecatory
> themes ( I can find the quote for you if you don´t have it at hand ) and
> this is why VN´s comments concerning Van´s very succesful stools came to
me
> as a surprise.
> Best, Jansy
>
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net>
> > > To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 8:45 PM
> > > Subject: Fw: Fw: creepy thoughts on ADA
> > >
> > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Julia Sky" <juliasky@inbox.ru>
> > > > To: "Vladimir Nabokov Forum" <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> > > > >
> > > > > ----------------- Message requiring your approval (32
> > > > lines) ------------------
> > > > > Thank you Dane for your intrepid question!
> > > > > A question, What For? also occupies me for quite a time. Actually,
> in
> > > > > STANDARD novels the theme of defecation, etc. is a taboo, and Ada
is
> > not
> > > > > standard. The scene you are writing about is in part 2, chapter 3.
> > There
> > > > are
> > > > > some more things of that kind e.g. the very end of part 4: Van
> > welcomed
> > > > the
> > > > > renewal of polished structures after a week of black fudge fouling
> the
> > > > bowl
> > > > > slope so high that no amount of flushing could dislodge it (p 441
in
> > > > Penguin
> > > > > classics' book). Or else, part 1 chapter 38: "Tranquilly,
> innocently,
> > > > side
> > > > > by side in their separately ordained attitudes, they added a
trickle
> > and
> > > a
> > > > > gush to the more professional sounds of the rain in the night:" (p
> > 208).
> > > > >
> > > > > My idea is that for the scene in Villa Venus we can look for
> > explanation
> > > > > starting from demons and their hidden flaws in The Gift / DAR
(sorry
> I
> > > > have
> > > > > only Russian text of the novel): мир прекрасных демонов; но в
> > прекрасном
> > > > > демоне есть всегда тайный из н, стыдная бородавка на заду у
подобия
> > > > > совершенства; лакированным лакомкам реклам, об дающимся
желатином,
> не
> > > > знать
> > > > > тихих отрад гастронома (New York, 1952, p 20) (I wouldn't dare
> > translate
> > > > VN
> > > > > myself)
> > > > >
> > > > > "Polished structures" appear to be an answer to structuralism
> theory,
> > > > aren'
> > > > > t they?
> > > > >
> > > > > Those who study Ada tend to avoid these greasy places but why
> > shouldn't
> > > we
> > > > > try to find out the reason of their existence? And one more thing
> for
> > > > > bilingual readers, Akhmatova wrote: <когда б вы знали, из какого
> сора
> > > > > растут стихи, не ведая стыда>, a pop-star echoed <я тебя слепила
из
> > > того,
> > > > > что было, а потом что было, то и полюбила>.
> > > > >
> > > > > Sincerely, JS.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
>