Subject
Fw: Fw: Martin Amis on Bellow , VN, et al
From
Date
Body
Message----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Brown
To: D. Barton Johnson
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Martin Amis on Bellow , VN, et al
Hello, Jansy,
I will do my best. I Think the translator's abilities quote comes from either the VN + E. Wilson letters edited by Simon Karlinski. They may have come from the Evgene Onegin commentary, but something tells me he would not put such a trivial remark in such an important work. Just possibly, the remark is from Speak Memory. I will ask a few Nabokovian friends.
When I said Nabokov "ruled language" I'm afraid I engaged in a Detroiterism, my birthplace, and the home of hyperbole and much else. I meant mainly that Nabakov stood as a giant among writers, nothing more.
In transcending borders, I meant that both in his life and in the years since his death his books have transcended borders and languages and will be read with pleasure by millions of people who speak tongues neither of us can. Unless I unintentionally diminish your abilities. I speak only English. I've done a lot of reading and I can get some understanding from books written in French, Italian, German, and Spanish. I doubt I could write a postcard in any of those languages.
Actually, for the source of the quote we can turn more easily to Martin Amis because he has quoted it in a recent essay. I would not be surprised if he had invoked it in his Koba book. Or in Experience. But I have read it in the original VN, as well.
I cannot and did not mean to say that VN had "transcended borders" physically in life. As I said in my post, nihilists and bureaucrats, and soldiers, did their utmost to make Russia and Europe a Hell for any artist traveling with a Jewish wife and a young son. Especially a former nobleman.
AB
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Barton Johnson
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 12:12 PM
Subject: Fw: Fw: Fw: Petty nationalism
----- Original Message -----
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 4:51 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Petty nationalism
Hello, AS Brown
I couldn´t follow two items of your message:
a) what do you mean with " Nabokov ruled language"?
b) " to transcend borders" refers to VN´s oeuvre or to his physicality "in life"?
Could you find the quotation about VN and "translation"? Unfortunately, your paraphrase didn´t ring any mnemic bell for me, nor did it help me to learn which for you were the other "serious" points of VN besides language and translation...
I´m a hasty writer and I think it is comforting when more people write spontaneously of their "thoughts on the way to somewhere else". This means that we are open to discuss matters that interest us and be enriched by the arguments we get in return. You observed that you " would advise against any of my hastily conceived and hectically typed notions being given any undo weight". Please, don´t take my questions above as trying to give such "undue weight" nor as attempts to "undo" the weight of your ponderations.
Jansy
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Barton Johnson
To: Andrew Brown
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:44 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Martin Amis on Bellow , VN, et al
Dear AB,
I infer from Jansy's message below that I overlooked one of your recent messages. If you re-send it, Ill promptly post it.
Don (Editor)
P.S. I would be interested in a bit of background. YTou aewe formidably articulate.
---------------------------------------
Hello, Don
I´ve just received the message below from Andrew Brown.Thank you for being the "thoughtful editor" in case Mr.Brown´s reply was inadequate in some way.
Could you forward the message to me or would you rather let the matter drop ( after all, Mr. Brown could have added it when he wrote his note )?
Best,
Jansy
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Brown
To: jansy@aetern.us
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:20 PM
Subject: Your Message
You should encourage our thoughtful site editor to publish what I wrote you in reply.
Best wishes, lad.
AB
From: Andrew Brown
To: D. Barton Johnson
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Martin Amis on Bellow , VN, et al
Hello, Jansy,
I will do my best. I Think the translator's abilities quote comes from either the VN + E. Wilson letters edited by Simon Karlinski. They may have come from the Evgene Onegin commentary, but something tells me he would not put such a trivial remark in such an important work. Just possibly, the remark is from Speak Memory. I will ask a few Nabokovian friends.
When I said Nabokov "ruled language" I'm afraid I engaged in a Detroiterism, my birthplace, and the home of hyperbole and much else. I meant mainly that Nabakov stood as a giant among writers, nothing more.
In transcending borders, I meant that both in his life and in the years since his death his books have transcended borders and languages and will be read with pleasure by millions of people who speak tongues neither of us can. Unless I unintentionally diminish your abilities. I speak only English. I've done a lot of reading and I can get some understanding from books written in French, Italian, German, and Spanish. I doubt I could write a postcard in any of those languages.
Actually, for the source of the quote we can turn more easily to Martin Amis because he has quoted it in a recent essay. I would not be surprised if he had invoked it in his Koba book. Or in Experience. But I have read it in the original VN, as well.
I cannot and did not mean to say that VN had "transcended borders" physically in life. As I said in my post, nihilists and bureaucrats, and soldiers, did their utmost to make Russia and Europe a Hell for any artist traveling with a Jewish wife and a young son. Especially a former nobleman.
AB
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Barton Johnson
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 12:12 PM
Subject: Fw: Fw: Fw: Petty nationalism
----- Original Message -----
From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 4:51 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Petty nationalism
Hello, AS Brown
I couldn´t follow two items of your message:
a) what do you mean with " Nabokov ruled language"?
b) " to transcend borders" refers to VN´s oeuvre or to his physicality "in life"?
Could you find the quotation about VN and "translation"? Unfortunately, your paraphrase didn´t ring any mnemic bell for me, nor did it help me to learn which for you were the other "serious" points of VN besides language and translation...
I´m a hasty writer and I think it is comforting when more people write spontaneously of their "thoughts on the way to somewhere else". This means that we are open to discuss matters that interest us and be enriched by the arguments we get in return. You observed that you " would advise against any of my hastily conceived and hectically typed notions being given any undo weight". Please, don´t take my questions above as trying to give such "undue weight" nor as attempts to "undo" the weight of your ponderations.
Jansy
----- Original Message -----
From: D. Barton Johnson
To: Andrew Brown
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:44 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Martin Amis on Bellow , VN, et al
Dear AB,
I infer from Jansy's message below that I overlooked one of your recent messages. If you re-send it, Ill promptly post it.
Don (Editor)
P.S. I would be interested in a bit of background. YTou aewe formidably articulate.
---------------------------------------
Hello, Don
I´ve just received the message below from Andrew Brown.Thank you for being the "thoughtful editor" in case Mr.Brown´s reply was inadequate in some way.
Could you forward the message to me or would you rather let the matter drop ( after all, Mr. Brown could have added it when he wrote his note )?
Best,
Jansy
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Brown
To: jansy@aetern.us
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:20 PM
Subject: Your Message
You should encourage our thoughtful site editor to publish what I wrote you in reply.
Best wishes, lad.
AB