Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0020211, Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:24:10 +0100

Subject
Re: Bloomsday, June 16, Ulysses Seen
Date
Body
Gary: your interesting newsclip is indeed relevant to our VN-List.
Converting words into graphic images (still or moving) really does introduce
fresh problems in what we (and the world¹s diverse legal systems) mean by
obscene. Adjustments, as they say, are always required. Certainly, one
cannot expect a one-to-one mapping to pictures for each narrative or
descriptive block of text. And one can imagine the obscenity being variously
diluted or magnified according to the image-makers¹ inclinations. For
example, I found the Anna Karenin comic strip infinitely more arousing than
the novel!

In Ulysses, the book, we read of Bloom¹s defecations (sitting above his
rising smell) and Molly¹s orgasms (yes, yes, indeed) but how close-up dirty
are these exposed (if at all) in the comic strips or movies? (I¹ve yet to
see Joseph Strick¹s 1967 film) Nearer home, and much debated, are the two
Lolita films which evaded the censor by massive distortions of VN¹s text. As
the trad waiver might say: No Animals were Hurt and No 12-year old Nymphets
were Molested during the making of this film!
(The Titanic movie joke: No Ships were Sunk during the making ...)

I¹m loath to criticize the strict content-rules established by Apple for
their outside application developers. Any approved app placed on Apple¹s app
store can be downloaded from many parts of the world. Huge risks of
expensive litigation. The booming app-market has blessed thousands of
software developers, so the occasional whinge about censorship is rather
ungrateful. Indeed, the publicity triggered by this controversy is a bonus
devoutly to be wished!

My new iPad has the latest Shakespeare app (all his works as searchable
text). No sign of Apple the BOWDLERISER!
SKB

PS: amazon browsing reveals a flourishing Gothic Lolita manga comic book
trade.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gothic-Lolita-Bible-v-3/dp/1427803498

On 15/06/2010 18:51, "Gary Lipon" <glipon@INNERLEA.COM> wrote:

> Perhaps a little off topic, and yet Joyce is mentioned often enough in
> connection with VN;
> a recent NYT article,
>> Joyce Found Too Graphic, This Time by Apple
>> By JULIE BOSMAN Published: June 13, 2010
>> <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/technology/14ulysses.html?src=me&ref=techn
>> ology>
> gives a link to
> a Web comic version of the classic novel, called ³Ulysses Seen²
>
> Only initial installments however are available, and I have yet to view even
> all of that.
> Still, from what I've seen, the effort seems quite commendable, which is to
> say, enjoyable-
> brings back memories. The scenes are depicted much as I might imagine them to
> be.
> For those interested, this link, ulyssesseen.com <http://ulyssesseen.com/> ,
> should take you there.
>


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