Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0011943, Tue, 20 Sep 2005 20:09:33 -0700

Subject
Fwd: RE: Ms Kunin responds to Mr Sklyarenko re ADA
Date
Body


----- Forwarded message from gshiman@optonline.net -----
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 23:26:35 -0400
From: George Shimanovich <gshiman@optonline.net>
Reply-To: George Shimanovich <gshiman@optonline.net>
Subject: RE: Ms Kunin responds to Mr Sklyarenko re ADA
To: 'Vladimir Nabokov Forum'

I find Alexey's "dream within a dream" theory interesting in light of
adoration expressed by VN towards "dream within a dream" in poem by another
Russian writer.

Simple theories and real people are total strangers to anything that lives
in VN's fiction, including dead. Pointed example - Mira Belochkina is so
lively while Jo, sorry, Lisa, whatever her last name, is quite dead. In
Nabokov sense of the word, of course.



Needless to say, statements and sentiments about finiteness of life have
very little to do with the topic at hand.



George Shimanovich



-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf
Of Donald B. Johnson
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 10:23 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Fwd: Ms Kunin responds to Mr Sklyarenko re ADA



Dear Alexey,

Here is my response to you in the form of a dialogue (your words in blue,
mine in green):

There are no "real" people in ADA, or in any other book by Nabokov, with the
exception, perhaps, of "Speak, Memory"/Drugie Berega.

I disagree with you. There are no real people, of course, but when you have
a narrator or narrators who are delusional, then the author has created a
minimum of two "realities" within the novel - - one more delusional than the
other. I am only suggesting that there is some simple story behind the whole
enormous facade of Van;s memoirs. Remember that those memoirs only
partially coincide with Nabokov's novel (I assume that the family tree and
the statement about the Orangers are outside of Van's memoirs, and the "To
Vera" of course).


"The Life of Chernyshevsky" of "The Gift" (the novel that you, Carolyn,
stubbornly refuse to read

I have never stubbornly refused to read anything. But I refuse to read
anything on someone else's timetable - - something quite different.
Nabokov is of great interest to me, but I do have other work and interests
to pursue.


I know that you don't accept my theory, but you can't deny that it is
logical, fits the facts and explains nearly everything in the novel

I can and do. What I cannot do is take the time to absorb your theory and
devote more time to refuting to it. Life is finite. At least mine is. Of the
biblical years allotted I have only fourteen left!


even Prince Ivan Tyomnosiniy, a fabulous ancestor of Van and Ada mentioned
at the beginning of the Family Chronicle, is more "real" than "Mr. and Ms.
Ronald Oranger"

Even in a novel, the "living" are usually more "real" than the "dead."


Please, Alexey, remember how I stated my idea: "I would venture to guess
that the only "real" people in Ada are "Violet" and "Oranger". And maybe
only one of them."


That's all I am doing - - venturing a guess - - expressing an intuition, a
hunch - - nothing more. I do not claim to prove it, I do not stake my life
on it, or even a hundred dollars.

Please lighten up, Alexey, life is too short, even yours.

tvoya dobrozhelatel'nitsa,
Carolyn

----- End forwarded message -----
Attachment