Subject
Re: VN Bibliography: Buks (fwd)
Date
Body
From: EJUSERS <EJNICOL@root.indstate.edu>
Judging by the summary, the article about the "Scaffold in the
Crystal Palace" is right on. I have argued in a couple of conference
papers (and probably Gene B. is the only person to have heard both of
them) that the inspiration for *Invitation* comes from writing the
Chernyshevsky biography--and specifically through the unlikely nexus
of Chernyshevsky at the chessboard. I am not alone in this:
Brian Boyd has pointed out in his biography the likely connection of
*Invitation* to the mock-execution of Chernyshevsky (which I think is
where he believes the inspiration for *Invitation* comes from) and
probably other scholars have cited that particular connection as
well (if I remember, Brian praises Robert Alter's article, which may
also not the parallel). In other words, the close connection between
the biography and *Invitation* has been floating around in various
guises for a long time. Whether *Invitation* is a thorough-going
parody of the Chernyshevsky biography, we'll have to see.
As to the Crystal Palace in the article title, that's also right on.
Scholars have long noted that the dream of the future in *Chto delat'?*
is based on the inspired glass architecture of the Crystal Palace,
and (again in one of those old conference papers; maybe I should
publish these things) I have suggested that this crystal-palace
relationship to the Chernyshevsky novel was the starting point for
Zemyatin's *We*, and helps explain its slight parallels to
*Invitation*.
--Charles Nicol, muttering in his usual confusion
Judging by the summary, the article about the "Scaffold in the
Crystal Palace" is right on. I have argued in a couple of conference
papers (and probably Gene B. is the only person to have heard both of
them) that the inspiration for *Invitation* comes from writing the
Chernyshevsky biography--and specifically through the unlikely nexus
of Chernyshevsky at the chessboard. I am not alone in this:
Brian Boyd has pointed out in his biography the likely connection of
*Invitation* to the mock-execution of Chernyshevsky (which I think is
where he believes the inspiration for *Invitation* comes from) and
probably other scholars have cited that particular connection as
well (if I remember, Brian praises Robert Alter's article, which may
also not the parallel). In other words, the close connection between
the biography and *Invitation* has been floating around in various
guises for a long time. Whether *Invitation* is a thorough-going
parody of the Chernyshevsky biography, we'll have to see.
As to the Crystal Palace in the article title, that's also right on.
Scholars have long noted that the dream of the future in *Chto delat'?*
is based on the inspired glass architecture of the Crystal Palace,
and (again in one of those old conference papers; maybe I should
publish these things) I have suggested that this crystal-palace
relationship to the Chernyshevsky novel was the starting point for
Zemyatin's *We*, and helps explain its slight parallels to
*Invitation*.
--Charles Nicol, muttering in his usual confusion