NABOKV-L post 0006226, Fri, 23 Nov 2001 16:41:22 -0800

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Spelling of Anna Karenina. Responses from Aksenov & Diment
Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2001 13:29:15 -0500
From: aksenov <aksenov@umich.edu>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>



Message requiring your approval (37 lines) ------------------
on 11/21/01 1:20 PM, D. Barton Johnson at chtodel@gte.net wrote:

> ------------------
>
> It is actually even more inconsistent that that! In Chapter 4, Pnin,
> indeed, refers to it as _Anna Karenina_ but in Chapter 5 (3), Pnin's
> compatriot, Bolotov, says: "You know... I am re-reading _Anna Karenin_
> for
> the seventh time..."
>
> Galya Diment
>


I am sorry but my text got left out somehow. Thank you.

Sergei


on 11/20/01 10:56 PM, D. Barton Johnson at chtodel@gte.net wrote:

> EDITOR's NOTE. In response to the below, I checked both the 1st edition
> of PNIN and the Library of America edition, now the most authoritative
> source. While it is true VN objected to the -A forms of "Karenin" (in
> English usage), he used or OK'ed "Karenina" for PNIN. I thin someelse

> has remarked that "Consistency is the bugaboo of small minds."

Even more so perhaps of those small minds that seek it out everywhere (hate
to admit it :). I wonder though if this Russianism was meant to accentuate
Pnin's attachment to the dear world of Russian literature in spite of him
existing now in a different linguistic context (where one is expected to say
Karenin). As Galya pointed out, Bolotov is more exact. Maybe he has no
trouble integrating into the new world?

Sergei