Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0001379, Sun, 27 Oct 1996 09:15:54 -0700

Subject
Re: Three questions (fwd)
Date
Body
From: J. A. Rea <JAREA@UKCC.uky.edu>

On Fri, 25 Oct 1996 12:11:08 -0700 Donald Barton Johnson said:

Further to my "off the top of my head" reply (below), it turns out that the
story in question is actually entitled "Lukundoo" -- I apologize for the
error in spelling (although I had warned you of the possibility), but it is
a few decades since I last read the item. The author was Edward Lucas White
(1866-1924). Neil Barron's _Horror Literature: A Reader's Guide_. New York:
Garland, 1990 says on p 157 that, "this story features a curse which makes
tiny homunculi erupt periodically from the flesh of a man who has wonged
an African tribeswoman." (I'm not so sure of the "periodically" part, as I
only recalled a single occurrence.)

I am VERY fascinated to learn from another poster to this list that Conrad,
a near contemporary of White's (1857-1924) uses this same defice! Who
plagiarized whom? I'd like documentation on this with a citation from
Conrad.

White's story can be found in _Lukundu and Other Stories_ published by
Doran in 1927 and in other anthologies. Probably also in _Great Stories
of Horror and the Supernatural_

John

>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>
>>From: Vitaly Kupisk <104361.1700@CompuServe.COM>
>>Dear Nabokovians,
>>Can anyone help me with the following questions:
>>
>snip
>>2. In "Nikolay Gogol", VN compares the ephemeral homunculi popping out of
>>"Government Inspector" characters' speech to " the little firm heads of witch
>>doctors bursting out of the body of an African explorer in a famous short
>>story". What story?
>>
>snip
>
>Winging it here as this comes in, the story is (with my possible misspellings)
>"Lukundu". It is findable in most collections of "horror" stories, along
>with things like "Monkey's Paw", "The Wendigo" etc. Try your Reference
>Librarian: might be a 'c' instead of a 'k' -- COULD be (but I think not)
>'oo' for 'u'. Don't read this gruesome little gem alone late at night.
>
>Query: How did BB know it?
>
>Ki semenat ispinaza, non andet iskultsu!
>
>J. A. Rea jarea@ukcc.uky.edu

Ki semenat ispinaza, non andet iskultsu!

J. A. Rea jarea@ukcc.uky.edu