Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0002884, Thu, 26 Feb 1998 11:44:32 -0800

Subject
Re: Elizabethan Playwrights (fwd)
Date
Body
From: "Peter A. Kartsev" <petr@glas.apc.org>

> I don't think that Roman Jakobson was for VN one of "nonentities".
> I don't think that VN in 1924 (well before "Mary" and "Vasiliy Shiskoff")
> "wrote the poem "Shakespeare" (as well as all his other works, why not?) in
> order to spite Adamovich, Ivanov, Wilson and a succession of others" (Peter
> Kartzev) - fully mythical "others" at that time. To write his works to spite
> someone or other wasn't, I think, VN main purpose.
> And what about: "However, the fact that the Warwickshire fellow wrote the
> plays is most satisfactorily proved on the strength of an applejohn and a
> pale primrose" (BS.7 - 1948, not 1924)?


For the record, I'd like to point out that Mr. Il'yn quotes my remark
out of context and changes its meaning to directly the opposite.

Apart from that, the opinion on Jakobson was not Nabokov's but mine. If
interested in Nabokov's, please consult Boyd, vol.2 and "Selected
Letters".

Peter.