Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0024176, Mon, 6 May 2013 19:53:00 -0600

Subject
Re: Did VN know German? and a library is announced
Date
Body
By the way, I understand "When I'd just turned eleven" to mean that it was
shortly after his eleventh birthday, not on it.

In response to Jansy Mello, the possible connection between "lemniscate"
and the cat's bow is not based on able topology but plodding etymology.
"Lemniscate" is from Latin "lemniscus", a ribbon, and I assume that in
regard to these figure-eight-shaped curves, it refers to a ribbon tied into
a bow.

Jerry Friedman

On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 12:09 PM, A. Bouazza <mushtary@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear Carolyn –and List,****
>
> ** **
>
> The passage containing Shade’s eleventh birthday begins at line 140 of
> Canto One:****
>
> ** **
>
> A thread of subtle pain,****
>
> Tugged at by playful death, released again, ****
>
> But always present, ran through me. One day,****
>
> When I’d just turned eleven, as I lay ****
>
> Prone on the floor and watched a clockwork toy— ****
>
> A tin wheelbarrow pushed by a tin boy— ****
>
> ** **
>
> And as to “the young girl who is planted on poor innocent young John
> Shade”, it is in fact a simile for his condition –lines 161 till the end of
> the same Canto:****
>
> ** **
>
> But like some little lad forced by a wench ****
>
> With his pure tongue her abject thirst to quench, ****
>
> I was corrupted, terrified, allured, ****
>
> And though old doctor Colt pronounced me cured ****
>
> Of what, he said, were mainly growing pains, ****
>
> The wonder lingers and the shame remains.****
>
> ** **
>
> A. Bouazza****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] *On
> Behalf Of *Carolyn Kunin
> *Sent:* zondag 5 mei 2013 2:24
> *To:* NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> *Subject:* Re: [NABOKV-L] Did VN know German? and a library is announced**
> **
>
> ** **
>
> Perhaps there are other cats in VN besides Hodges (there's the intriguing
> cat with celadon eyes that spurns milk in RLSK) Some who understand human
> language and act as spies all over the house retelling gossip for example,
> written by ??? ****
>
> ** **
>
> Dear Jansy,****
>
> ** **
>
> [...]
>
> ** **
>
> The way he, Kinbote, strokes the pussy cat makes me think he is 'actually'
> in Kinbote World caressing Fleur de Fyler, who in 'real' New Wye is a
> pseudonym for the young girl who is planted on poor innocent young John
> Shade on his birthday - so frustrating that I can't recall and no one will
> help in finding which birthday it was. The birthday that gave birth to
> Charles Kinbote, Shade's younger brother.****
>
> **
>

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