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Subject:
'Lolita' bed for girls ... |
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From:
"Sandy P. Klein" <spklein52@hotmail.com> |
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Date:
Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:41:17 -0500 |
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To:
Sandy Klein--hotmail <spklein52@hotmail.com> |
In 1955,
The book stirred controversy by describing, and
some claim celebrating, the relationship between a pedophile and a
young girl. Unlike some other ''shocking'' novels that tend to mellow
with age, ''Lolita'' still troubles. The subject remains abhorrent:
society rejects such relationships, no matter how manipulative (or
complicit) the victim may be, no matter how celebrated the book may
become.
Time magazine named ''Lolita'' one of the 100 Best
English-Language Novels from 1923 to the present. In its original 1958
review of the novel, Time said: ''But the most truly horrible part of
the book is the intimate fashion in which the reader is made to see how
from a monstrous relationship a kind of shadow of a good life
emerges.'' Scholars have also noted the conflicting feelings readers
have about the novel and its protagonist. In his book, ''Vladimir
Nabokov,'' Donald Morton tells us: ''What makes 'Lolita' something more
… is the truly shocking fact that Humbert Humbert is a genius who,
through the power of his artistry, actually persuades the reader that
his memoir is a love story.'' While some may be able to appreciate the
literary nature of the book and the talent of its writer, most of us
are repulsed by the relationship at the book's core.
http://persianmirror.com/Article_det.cfm?id=1969&getArticleCategory=52&getArticleSubCategory=129 HEDAYAT'S LAST MESSAGE BY TINA EHRAMIAgainst cultural purification While many nations nowadays are desperately searching for their own cultural roots, they tend to consider their cultural icons as ‘pure’ and undivided original. Apart from the fact that seeking cultural purification somewhat has its similarities with the original idea’s of Nazi philosophy and fascist nationalism, it also is quite useless. [ ... ] Literature is one of the best examples to show cross-cultural influences and its success for cultural development. In Sadegh Hedayat’s “The Blind Owl” (1937) the author tells a story in an Iranian setting, using Iranian symbols and Iranian values. But in fact it’s almost an exact copy of Franz Kafka’s “Die Verwandlung” (1915). The similarities between the works of these two authors can mainly be found in the style of their storytelling. They both use fantastic symbolic scenes to express their criticism on social and political matters. The way these two authors write in a matter-of-fact way about impossible fantasy- like occurrences typifies their writing style. Both authors were unique in their own countries and in a way just as controversial. Hedayat was considered Iran’s first avant- garde writer and his work was forbidden for publication in his own country. After his death his work received the recognition and respect of the Iranian people. Kafka’s influence in Hedayat’s work is understandable when considered that he was the first Iranian translator of Kafka’s novels.</P< font> Kafka’s recognizable style that influenced Hedayat in his books could be seen as a welcome injection of German culture. Culture in its narrow definition, or the tangible sources of culture, are the outcome of the values of culture in its broader definition. Therefore we can conclude that Iranian culture unconsciously was influenced by German culture through Kafka. Kafka on the other hand could have been influenced by Nabokov (consider the similarities in Nabokov’s “Invitation to a beheading” and Kafka’s “Der Prozess”). Hence we can never speak of “pure cultures”. [ ... ] Yale University Press http://yalepress.typepad.com/yalepresslog/2008/02/khrushchevas-im.html Khrushcheva’s Imagining Nabokov tops reading lists Andrew Nagorski, award-winning journalist and senior editor at Newsweek International, is a fan of Nina Khrushcheva’s Imagining Nabokov: Russia Between Art and Politics. When asked by the blog "Writers Read," Nagorski said, "At a time when Putin’s Russia is once again claiming a special status and scorning the West and its concept of democracy, Nina Khrushcheva has written an extended meditation on one of that country’s great writers: Vladimir Nabokov.... Nabokov was a truly modern man, someone who offers a much-needed antidote to the increasingly narrow outlook of Russia’s current rulers." This book offers the original hypothesis that the novels of Russian-turned-American writer Vladimir Nabokov are highly relevant to the political transformation underway in Russia today. Nina Khrushcheva suggests that Nabokov’s fictional Western characters can be useful guides for acquiring new skills that the advent of democracy, capitalism, and open borders requires. You may have seen Khrushcheva in her appearance on the Russia Today network yesterday, talking about the upcoming Russian elections. If you missed it, be sure to tune in to CBC Radio (Canada) on Feb. 29th. She will appear on As It Happens to discuss both the elections and Imagining Nabokov. If you want to see Khrushcheva in person, then go to the New School on March 7th, where she'll appear with Jack Matlock and Ian Buruma. For more information on that author event, click here. ________________________________________