Subject
Re: Suggested gift book inscriptions (fwd)
Date
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From: Galya Diment <galya@u.washington.edu>
From: Galya Diment <galya@u.washington.edu>
The request made me wonder whether Nabokov ever makes it to _Familiar
Quotations_ or other similar "cultural institutions." I have a 1980
version of _FQ_ and, alas, Nabokov is not there. Would be interested to
hear if others find him anywhere else
As to the inscription, "Beauty plus pity" is my favorite too -- and I
suspect would be the most likely "familiar quotation" of VN's if one is
ever included in any of the mainstream quotation compilations. It *is*
from the _Lectures on Literature_, the Kafka lecture.
My other favorite is the "shoulder blades" quote which is also from the
_Lectures_: ("Bleak House"): "Although we read with our minds, the seat of
artistic delight is between the shoulder blades. That little shiver behind
is quite certainly the highest form of emotion that humanity has attained
when evolving pure art and pure science. Let us worship the spine and its
tingle." I would probably choose that one for a gift inscription.
Galya Diment
From: Galya Diment <galya@u.washington.edu>
The request made me wonder whether Nabokov ever makes it to _Familiar
Quotations_ or other similar "cultural institutions." I have a 1980
version of _FQ_ and, alas, Nabokov is not there. Would be interested to
hear if others find him anywhere else
As to the inscription, "Beauty plus pity" is my favorite too -- and I
suspect would be the most likely "familiar quotation" of VN's if one is
ever included in any of the mainstream quotation compilations. It *is*
from the _Lectures on Literature_, the Kafka lecture.
My other favorite is the "shoulder blades" quote which is also from the
_Lectures_: ("Bleak House"): "Although we read with our minds, the seat of
artistic delight is between the shoulder blades. That little shiver behind
is quite certainly the highest form of emotion that humanity has attained
when evolving pure art and pure science. Let us worship the spine and its
tingle." I would probably choose that one for a gift inscription.
Galya Diment