Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0007028, Tue, 5 Nov 2002 18:54:04 -0800

Subject
Fw: reply to Thomas N re Pale Fire
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reply to Thomas N
----- Original Message -----
From: Carolyn Kunin
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 11:35 AM
Subject: reply to Thomas N


Dear Thomas,

I hope those weary onlookers will respond.

As for me, I don't understand the texture argument, neither as it is made by Shade, nor as it is made by you. I'm strictly a text girl myself. At least when it comes to fiction. I learned criticism (in my book that means literary analysis) from Vladimir Markov, a scholar of that OTSLC (old text school of literary criticism).

As for those of your comments that I am able to follow, allow me to quote you:

I attempted in my last response to forward the possibility that criticism can be performed free of any personal animosity or mudslinging. It is certainly important to be courteous but unnecessary to censor one's own argument to the point of inanity.

I think it's wonderful that so many people are interested in interpreting and discussing Pale Fire, but I feel that I am not alone in thinking that the recent approaches to the text have not been particularly successful or persuasive. It is with that mindset (and not being critical with the negative connotation you specify) that I have attempted to show a different way of reading the novel that may be of interest to some folks, particularly those who would rather not depend upon Cliff Notes or pinkdog.com or pestering Dmitri Nabokov for interesting analyses of Nabokov's literature.

No "personal animosity or mudslinging" here. But as the shrew says,a rather mean meaning, and I wonder why you continue to find it necessary. But please! don't tell me. I'd rather hear from those weary onlookers.

Carolyn
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