Subject
Fw: Nabokov Bibliography: James Veitch Multiple levels of reality
in RLSKn, Lolita, & Pale Fire
in RLSKn, Lolita, & Pale Fire
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Date
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Phillip Iannarelli" <iann88us@yahoo.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (130
lines) ------------------
Mr. Veitch has eloquently stated the essence of
Nabokov's fiction.
>
> Phil Iannarelli
> --- "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I recently completed my dissertation upon multiple
> > levels of perception in
> > Nabokov's fiction at the University of Aberdeen,
> > Scotland. And it was
> > submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for
> > the Degree of Master
> > of Arts in English Literature.
> >
> > I thought I would post my introduction to see what
> > everyone thought on the
> > topic and maybe get some feedback. It was my last
> > piece of work for my
> > degree and the one which I most enjoyed writing.
> >
> > Best wishes
> > James Veitch
> > --------------------------------------
> >
> > "Reality is an infinite succession of steps, levels
> > of perception, false
> > bottoms, and hence unquenchable, unattainable.¹"
> > (Vladimir Nabokov, Strong
> > Opinions. p.11).
> >
> > An examination of the creation and application of
> > multiple levels of
> > reality
> > in: The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Lolita, and
> > Pale Fire
> >
> >
> >
> > In a published transcript from an interview Vladimir
> > Nabokov writes that, "Reality is an infinite
> > succession of levels, levels of perception, of false
> > bottoms, and hence unquenchable, unattainable." A
> > reading of Nabokov's fiction both inspires and
> > requires the suspension of the reader's desire to
> > discern from the text a singular definitive
> > 'meaning.' Nabokov employs a polyphony of voices,
> > realities, interpretations and hence 'levels of
> > perception,' within his fiction that would seem, at
> > first, to implore the reader to discern from them a
> > series of empirical interpretations; voice,
> > metafictional reality, character identity and
> > overall meaning. Yet, an immersion in these 'levels
> > of perception' forces the reader into a state of
> > perpetual flux, shifting perspectives and responding
> > to a text flooded with a plurality of voices and
> > interpretations; in order to discern a definitive
> > reality the reader must define them, yet even as the
> > reader tries to do this the boundaries begin to
> > break down and realities, identities and perceptions
> > start to merge, sending the reader reeling through
> > an 'infinite succession of levels' and dropping him
> > through numerous 'false bottoms.' Nabokov's fiction
> > thwarts any fixed interpretation; 'true' meaning is,
> > like 'reality,' 'unquenchable, unattainable,' and
> > the clever critic wastes no time on what always
> > proves a fruitless task. A full appreciation of
> > Nabokov's fiction relies upon a delicate and
> > simultaneous suspension of all these worlds,
> > disallowing one to take precedence over another and
> > allowing for and inspiring multiple (and concurrent)
> > levels of perception in the mind of the reader.
> > Levels of perception co-exist; metafiction exists
> > only in relation to its fiction and thus it is a
> > mistake to deconstruct Nabokov's meticulously
> > constructed levels into their parts; particularly so
> > as Nabokov anticipates and entirely prevents this
> > (as we shall see) through providing boundaries that
> > shimmer, shake and merge.
> >
> > Through the induced invocation of many 'worlds,' the
> > reader is able to side step succumbing to any fixed
> > interpretation or any 'true' reality and is able to
> > restrain treading down the perilous path towards,
> > 'authorial intention.' Nabokov, however, does not
> > make the job an easy one. Iris Barry comments that
> > The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is 'full of barbs
> > and pitfalls,' and, through analysis of his work, we
> > find these are not limited to Sebastian Knight but
> > are ubiquitous to Nabokov's fiction. She goes on to
> > comment that the book, 'deludes the reader
> > consciously,' and, as we shall see, Nabokov (who
> > once commented that, 'Art at its greatest is
> > fantastically deceitful and complex.') developed
> > this theme of delusion and deceit from The Real Life
> > of Sebastian Knight (1941) through Lolita (1955)
> > culminating into his most complex, compelling and
> > trap-laden creation, Pale Fire (1962) which
> > positively teems with 'barbs and pitfalls.' By
> > laying traps that ensnare the unsuspecting reader;
> > luring him into a contrived chain of thought, an
> > interpretation that leads, inevitably to a false
> > conclusion: a didactic truism, a 'moral message,' an
> > 'authorial intervention,' Nabokov both ridicules
> > these traditional modes of interpretation and
> > directs the reader towards the alternative; that of
> > non-didactic and subjective interpretation. The
> > sensitive reader treads carefully and recognises,
> > learns from and forgoes following these meticulously
> > crafted false scents but instead revels in the
> > transcendental plurality of worlds found in the
> > text. This study attempts to examine the ways in
> > which The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Lolita and
> > Pale Fire, fashion multiple worlds and
> > interpretations and allow and encourage them to
> > coexist in a reading. It shall examine how the use
> > of seemingly conflicting realities has been the
> > cause of much critical debate and yet how arguing
> > over the presiding reality of the text is, in a
> > sense, becoming ensnared in the 'barbs and pitfalls'
> > which the reader should be wary of.
> >
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
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>
From: "Phillip Iannarelli" <iann88us@yahoo.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (130
lines) ------------------
Mr. Veitch has eloquently stated the essence of
Nabokov's fiction.
>
> Phil Iannarelli
> --- "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I recently completed my dissertation upon multiple
> > levels of perception in
> > Nabokov's fiction at the University of Aberdeen,
> > Scotland. And it was
> > submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for
> > the Degree of Master
> > of Arts in English Literature.
> >
> > I thought I would post my introduction to see what
> > everyone thought on the
> > topic and maybe get some feedback. It was my last
> > piece of work for my
> > degree and the one which I most enjoyed writing.
> >
> > Best wishes
> > James Veitch
> > --------------------------------------
> >
> > "Reality is an infinite succession of steps, levels
> > of perception, false
> > bottoms, and hence unquenchable, unattainable.¹"
> > (Vladimir Nabokov, Strong
> > Opinions. p.11).
> >
> > An examination of the creation and application of
> > multiple levels of
> > reality
> > in: The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Lolita, and
> > Pale Fire
> >
> >
> >
> > In a published transcript from an interview Vladimir
> > Nabokov writes that, "Reality is an infinite
> > succession of levels, levels of perception, of false
> > bottoms, and hence unquenchable, unattainable." A
> > reading of Nabokov's fiction both inspires and
> > requires the suspension of the reader's desire to
> > discern from the text a singular definitive
> > 'meaning.' Nabokov employs a polyphony of voices,
> > realities, interpretations and hence 'levels of
> > perception,' within his fiction that would seem, at
> > first, to implore the reader to discern from them a
> > series of empirical interpretations; voice,
> > metafictional reality, character identity and
> > overall meaning. Yet, an immersion in these 'levels
> > of perception' forces the reader into a state of
> > perpetual flux, shifting perspectives and responding
> > to a text flooded with a plurality of voices and
> > interpretations; in order to discern a definitive
> > reality the reader must define them, yet even as the
> > reader tries to do this the boundaries begin to
> > break down and realities, identities and perceptions
> > start to merge, sending the reader reeling through
> > an 'infinite succession of levels' and dropping him
> > through numerous 'false bottoms.' Nabokov's fiction
> > thwarts any fixed interpretation; 'true' meaning is,
> > like 'reality,' 'unquenchable, unattainable,' and
> > the clever critic wastes no time on what always
> > proves a fruitless task. A full appreciation of
> > Nabokov's fiction relies upon a delicate and
> > simultaneous suspension of all these worlds,
> > disallowing one to take precedence over another and
> > allowing for and inspiring multiple (and concurrent)
> > levels of perception in the mind of the reader.
> > Levels of perception co-exist; metafiction exists
> > only in relation to its fiction and thus it is a
> > mistake to deconstruct Nabokov's meticulously
> > constructed levels into their parts; particularly so
> > as Nabokov anticipates and entirely prevents this
> > (as we shall see) through providing boundaries that
> > shimmer, shake and merge.
> >
> > Through the induced invocation of many 'worlds,' the
> > reader is able to side step succumbing to any fixed
> > interpretation or any 'true' reality and is able to
> > restrain treading down the perilous path towards,
> > 'authorial intention.' Nabokov, however, does not
> > make the job an easy one. Iris Barry comments that
> > The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is 'full of barbs
> > and pitfalls,' and, through analysis of his work, we
> > find these are not limited to Sebastian Knight but
> > are ubiquitous to Nabokov's fiction. She goes on to
> > comment that the book, 'deludes the reader
> > consciously,' and, as we shall see, Nabokov (who
> > once commented that, 'Art at its greatest is
> > fantastically deceitful and complex.') developed
> > this theme of delusion and deceit from The Real Life
> > of Sebastian Knight (1941) through Lolita (1955)
> > culminating into his most complex, compelling and
> > trap-laden creation, Pale Fire (1962) which
> > positively teems with 'barbs and pitfalls.' By
> > laying traps that ensnare the unsuspecting reader;
> > luring him into a contrived chain of thought, an
> > interpretation that leads, inevitably to a false
> > conclusion: a didactic truism, a 'moral message,' an
> > 'authorial intervention,' Nabokov both ridicules
> > these traditional modes of interpretation and
> > directs the reader towards the alternative; that of
> > non-didactic and subjective interpretation. The
> > sensitive reader treads carefully and recognises,
> > learns from and forgoes following these meticulously
> > crafted false scents but instead revels in the
> > transcendental plurality of worlds found in the
> > text. This study attempts to examine the ways in
> > which The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Lolita and
> > Pale Fire, fashion multiple worlds and
> > interpretations and allow and encourage them to
> > coexist in a reading. It shall examine how the use
> > of seemingly conflicting realities has been the
> > cause of much critical debate and yet how arguing
> > over the presiding reality of the text is, in a
> > sense, becoming ensnared in the 'barbs and pitfalls'
> > which the reader should be wary of.
> >
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
> http://sbc.yahoo.com
>