Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0001037, Wed, 13 Mar 1996 08:53:51 -0800

Subject
Chernyshevsky Bio & Invitation to the Editor's Beheading
Date
Body
EDITOR'S NOTE. I am duly chastened by Alexander Dolinin's correction
below and by another one from Jake Pultorak (in re Gavriel Shapiro's
priority). Both note that I was mistaken in saying Nora Buks' linking of the
inception of _Beheading_ to VN's Chernyshevsky bio was new. My apologies
to both gentlemen. I would add, however, that Nora Buks goes beyond
making the connection and lays out the parallel in some detail.

D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 23:43:51 -0600
From: Alexander Dolinin <dolinin@facstaff.wisc.edu>
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.UCSB.EDU>
Subject: Re: VN Bibliography: Buks

I am awfully sorry but I have to quote from my own article on The
Gift in The Garland Companion:
...a sudden spark of inspiration that caused Nabokov to break off
writing The Gift for a while and plunge into the dream-like world of
Invitation to a Beheading most probably was ignited by his readings for the
Chernyshevsky chapter. To a certain extent, the predicament of Cincinnatus
C. mimics and heightens that of Chernyshevsky, turning the farcial into the
tragic, and vice versa. The Delaland connection between the two novels
mentioned above pinpoints their genetic kinship (136-37).
Alexander Dolinin