Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0010589, Mon, 15 Nov 2004 08:45:29 -0800

Subject
Re: Fw: time synchronization:
Date
Body
----- Forwarded message from greg.mackinnon@btopenworld.com -----
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 15:44:58 +0000 (GMT)
From: GREG MACKINNON <greg.mackinnon@btopenworld.com>

Nabokov largely rejected Proust's theory of involuntary memory. 'Speak, Memory'
probably explains this best, in that for VN the past was not only readily
accessible at whim but a part of the present as well. I have a sneaky feeling
he may have been goaded into his position on involuntary memory by TS Eliot's
remarks on Proust, particularly those about the 'poor snapshots of memory' (in
ADA, the lightning flash acts as a camera capturing the Veens enjoying an
unforgettable evening around the table). Nabokov felt that his powers of
voluntary memory were more than capable of reinvoking the past without the need
of happy 'accidents' like tripping up on uneven paving stones or munching on
tisane-soaked madeleines!

Hope this helps.

All the best everyone,

Greg
Glasgow, Scotland





"Donald B. Johnson" <chtodel@gss.ucsb.edu> wrote:
Thank you again, Alyssa. I´ve read VN´s lecture on Proust some time ago and
I cannot remember how he dealt with Proust´s theory. Also I´m not at all
familiar with Bergson´s ideas...
The aesthetic bliss afforded by an involuntary memory is very rare. In his
wonderful essay on Proust, Samuel Beckett apparently counted only six such
experiences in the entire " La Recherche" - while I had been trying to
investigate if VN had discovered a new way to cultivate, "voluntarily",
such magic moments that bring our experience of time to a new level of
awareness.
Andrew´s lovely re-presentation of Pnin and the way he developed the idea
about " Tolstoy's use of dueling passages of time, not only are all unhappy
families unhappy in different ways, they are unhappy at different speeds"
also offered very rich inroads for our exploration about the relationship
bt "bliss" and time.
Jansy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson"
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: time synchronization:


EDNOTE. Time Synchronization is important in VN. Jonathan Sisson wrote an
excellent dissertation on the topic--a piece of it appeared in issue #1 of
NABOKOV STUDIES.

----- Forwarded message from hsilep@yahoo.com -----
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 10:25:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Alyssa Pelish


Just off hand, I don't know whether VN ever discusses Proust's theory on
involuntary memory, but, in case you haven't checked already, his lecture on
"Swann's Way" would be a likely place. (Within this lecture, I've actually
found a few delightful observations that seem (retrospectively) to function
almost as commentary on VN's own writing.) I suppose, too, one could assert
that such discussion or exploration of kinds of memory occurs in _Speak,
Memory_, though without, of course, any explicit reference to Proust.

Do let me know if you find anything more specific! I'd love to know.

Alyssa Pelish

"Donald B. Johnson" wrote:
Thanks, ED and Alyssa for tossing in a coin about time in Anna Karenin and
Pnin, a very interesting track to explore.

Alyssa expressed her misgivings about "misplaced memories" - a contrast to
VN´s constant attempt to control or recreate his own ( he wrote in Ada that
he "collected what he wanted to recollect" ...) The temporality arisen by
our remembrances follows rules that don´t belong to clocks, historical
sequencing and traditional physics... Does any of you know if VN ever
commented Proust´s theory about "involuntary memories" ?

Thanks, again.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald B. Johnson"
To:
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 11:51 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: time synchronizatio: coin


EDNOTE. Alyssa's idea crossed my minf as well.

----- Forwarded message from hsilep@yahoo.com -----
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 10:31:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Alyssa Pelish

Jansy,

I wonder if it's worth bringing up, on a related note, VN's (or Pnin's, at
least) interest in the subtly skewed presentation of time in _Anna
Karenina_.
I think (though this may be a misplaced memory) he discusses this in his
lecture on the latter novel. Seems to be part of a general fascination with
time and patterns throughout time.
Just thought I'd toss that out.

Alyssa Pelish

"D. Barton Johnson" wrote:

----- Original Message ----- From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello
To: don barton johnson
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 6:42 PM
Subject: coin



Hi, Don,
I wonder if the text below can interest you and the List. I´ll send it on
anyway.
The idea is to bring out VN´s fascination with J.Joyce´s synchronization
devices.
The lines in TT about the cockshuttle ( that appears twice, at least, after
an
interval of eight years), together with the theme of "picking up coins" can
be
associated to VN´s Lecture on James Joyce, when VN comments about
Part two, ch. 7 of "Ulysses":

" in the second section the synchronization begins (...) See the technique?
It
is now three. Kelleher sends a silent jet of hayjuice (...)and at the same
time
in another part of the town a generous white arm ( Molly Bloom´s) from a
window
in Eccles Street, three miles away to the northwest, flings forth a coin to
the
one-legged sailor who has by now reached Eccles Street (...) Lenehan´s
walking
(...) is synchronized with Molly Bloom replacing the card advertising an
unfurnished apartment that has slipped from the sash when she opened it to
fling the one-legged sailor a penny.
And since at that same time Kelleher was talking...(...) we conclude with a
tinge of artistic pleasure that sections 2,3 and 9 occurred simultaneously
in
different places.
( pag.331/332 or 3:00 o´clock ) F. Bowers ed.1980.


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