Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0013663, Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:18:17 -0400

Subject
CK replies to JF
From
Date
Body
Dear Jerry

Yes, but I think he has to pile on too many inventions. It's one
thing to expect readers to infer what a delusional character's
real name is, and another thing to expect us to infer something
with one unprecedented feature after another. The latter would
need much stronger evidence, in my opinion.

I don't have any problem with this. What are the Alice books, beloved
by Nabokov, if not one invention after another? And Pale Fire is hardly
as fanciful as that. Or perhaps it is? Either way, I accept fiction as
fictional.

My feeling is that, to have a complete theory, you need to say
more on this "indicating". Is Kinbote indicating such impacts
purposely or by accident?

By a complete theory I assume you mean one that can explain everything
in Pale Fire? I have never claimed to be able to do that. There are at
least two books whose only subject is Pale Fire, and I don't think
either of them claims to be able to explain everything in it. Perhaps
you expect too much from me?

Carolyn

Search the archive: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/archives/nabokv-l.html
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm






Attachment