Subject
RJ:The Leonardo (fwd)
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE: As a weekly event on NABOKV-L, Roy Johnson presents a
discussion of one of VN short stories. The discussions are drawn from his
book MS on the subject. Please address any comments/contributions to
NABOOKV-L or Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk DBJ
----------
Forwarded message ---------- From: Johnson <Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk>
-------------------------------------------
This week's story - THE LEONARDO
-------------------------------------------
The development of Nabokov's conversational narrative voice takes
a further step forward in 'The Leonardo' (July 1933) but in this
instance comes close to becoming irritating because it is coupled
to an uncomfortable sense of unreality which pervades the story.
Nabokov even begins the piece by rather self-consciously
assembling his scenery: "Here comes the ovate little poplar, all
punctuated with April greenery, and takes its stand where told,
namely by the tall brick wall" (RB,p.11).
The story concerns two German thugs Gustav and Anton who menace
their neighbour Romantovski because he is independent and an
individualist who likes books and reading late at night. He is
sensitive and fragile, and this incites their moronic desire to
do him harm. Eventually they pick a fight with him then murder
him. It is then revealed by the police that he was in fact an ex-
criminal and a forger - and the narrator 'confesses' that he to
is surprised by this information: "My poor Romantovski! ... I
believed, let me confess, that you were a remarkable poet whom
poverty obliged to dwell in that sinister district" (p.23).
This is another variation in 'surprising the reader's
expectation' rather in the same manner as the sobbing passenger
turns out *not* to be guilty in 'The Passenger', but for an
author to conceal information and then pretend to be surprised
when he reveals it is rather a cheap trick to pull on his
readers. It even undermines to a certain extent the serious
intent of the story - which is to expose the vulgarity,
mindlessness, and the potential danger lurking in those who are
intolerant of individualism. The story *was*, after all, written
in the very year that Hitler seized power in Germany.
The elements of unreality and comic-strip stylisation which
Nabokov employs certainly underscore the violent atmosphere of
the story. The two thugs are described as
"Gigantic, imperiously reeking of sweat and beer, with
beefy voices and senseless speeches, with faecal
matter replacing the human brain, they provoke a
tremor of ignoble fear" (p.16)
This was a manner which he was to deploy in the more extended
study of violence *An Invitation to a Beheading* two years later.
But it is an approach which does not fit easily with the demand
for regularity of tone in the short story.
Nevertheless, the *flexibility* of the narrative voice is
remarkably extended. It is essentially conducted in the first
person mode ("My poor Romantovski") but most of the time the
narrator gives information omnisciently in the third. There are
the usual unannounced switches into his characters' points of
view, some interior monologue, and he also passes occasionally
into use of the impersonal 'one' in order to detach himself - "no
matter how quietly one advanced towards his door, his light went
out instantly" (p.17) - and to draw the reader into complicity.
The narrator also apostrophises his own creations, speaks
directly to the reader, and sometimes gives voice to the
voiceless: "His long wrists protruded [from a jacket] with a kind
of annoying and nonsensical obviousness ('here we are: what
should we do?')" (p.14)
Perhaps his most successful effect in this respect is to use the
first person *plural* to indicate the lack of individuality and
imagination in his two thugs who are infuriated by their
inability to understand Romantovski: "the trouble is that we just
cannot put our finger on the difference" (p.18).
These are all devices which he was to develop and use more
successfully elsewhere, but their cumulative effect in 'The
Leonardo' borders on an embarrassing 'knowingness' in his
narrative, which leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable.
----------------------------------------------
Next week's story - THE CIRCLE
----------------------------------------------
discussion of one of VN short stories. The discussions are drawn from his
book MS on the subject. Please address any comments/contributions to
NABOOKV-L or Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk DBJ
----------
Forwarded message ---------- From: Johnson <Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk>
-------------------------------------------
This week's story - THE LEONARDO
-------------------------------------------
The development of Nabokov's conversational narrative voice takes
a further step forward in 'The Leonardo' (July 1933) but in this
instance comes close to becoming irritating because it is coupled
to an uncomfortable sense of unreality which pervades the story.
Nabokov even begins the piece by rather self-consciously
assembling his scenery: "Here comes the ovate little poplar, all
punctuated with April greenery, and takes its stand where told,
namely by the tall brick wall" (RB,p.11).
The story concerns two German thugs Gustav and Anton who menace
their neighbour Romantovski because he is independent and an
individualist who likes books and reading late at night. He is
sensitive and fragile, and this incites their moronic desire to
do him harm. Eventually they pick a fight with him then murder
him. It is then revealed by the police that he was in fact an ex-
criminal and a forger - and the narrator 'confesses' that he to
is surprised by this information: "My poor Romantovski! ... I
believed, let me confess, that you were a remarkable poet whom
poverty obliged to dwell in that sinister district" (p.23).
This is another variation in 'surprising the reader's
expectation' rather in the same manner as the sobbing passenger
turns out *not* to be guilty in 'The Passenger', but for an
author to conceal information and then pretend to be surprised
when he reveals it is rather a cheap trick to pull on his
readers. It even undermines to a certain extent the serious
intent of the story - which is to expose the vulgarity,
mindlessness, and the potential danger lurking in those who are
intolerant of individualism. The story *was*, after all, written
in the very year that Hitler seized power in Germany.
The elements of unreality and comic-strip stylisation which
Nabokov employs certainly underscore the violent atmosphere of
the story. The two thugs are described as
"Gigantic, imperiously reeking of sweat and beer, with
beefy voices and senseless speeches, with faecal
matter replacing the human brain, they provoke a
tremor of ignoble fear" (p.16)
This was a manner which he was to deploy in the more extended
study of violence *An Invitation to a Beheading* two years later.
But it is an approach which does not fit easily with the demand
for regularity of tone in the short story.
Nevertheless, the *flexibility* of the narrative voice is
remarkably extended. It is essentially conducted in the first
person mode ("My poor Romantovski") but most of the time the
narrator gives information omnisciently in the third. There are
the usual unannounced switches into his characters' points of
view, some interior monologue, and he also passes occasionally
into use of the impersonal 'one' in order to detach himself - "no
matter how quietly one advanced towards his door, his light went
out instantly" (p.17) - and to draw the reader into complicity.
The narrator also apostrophises his own creations, speaks
directly to the reader, and sometimes gives voice to the
voiceless: "His long wrists protruded [from a jacket] with a kind
of annoying and nonsensical obviousness ('here we are: what
should we do?')" (p.14)
Perhaps his most successful effect in this respect is to use the
first person *plural* to indicate the lack of individuality and
imagination in his two thugs who are infuriated by their
inability to understand Romantovski: "the trouble is that we just
cannot put our finger on the difference" (p.18).
These are all devices which he was to develop and use more
successfully elsewhere, but their cumulative effect in 'The
Leonardo' borders on an embarrassing 'knowingness' in his
narrative, which leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable.
----------------------------------------------
Next week's story - THE CIRCLE
----------------------------------------------