Dear Carolyn, I do not think unraveling the genius of VN is hero worship, but rather an attempt to understand the workings of his great convoluted artistic vision, He was a conjurer, a magician, a multi-faceted artist, and of course a great writer. We are scooping out gems from the readings of the list members,and studying their refractive surfaces. If VN opined negatively about Dr. Schweitzer, is that a detraction from his art? Dr. Freud committed many intellectual and scientific errors and it was probably this that antagonized VN and so  he wrote  of his contempt, and why not? Pasternak also enjoyed a relationship with Stalin and could not have VN's respect and the madness that surrounded the publication of  his novel could not bring joy to literature lover's hearts. One can judge the novel variously, but the Nobel prize was a political stunt, and all too often the jury acts politically and not from a consideration of what is superior writing. Look at their awards during the war years,,and you will lose respect for such a prize.Look at today's awards in the non-science fields like peace and literature and you will see toadying to political stances. and you will read the political balancing acts. The same goes for the Pulitzer and many other such "contests". The real judgment of value and impact coes with time and some writers have stood the test of time, but certainly not Pasternak. Pasternak's stature as a poet and translator is something else and to understand the crazy world he lived of the fear, and the bootlicking is more than any non soaked in the brine of Soviet reality can understand, but you can read Mandelshtam's widow's book and get a taste. Russian letters are a complex matter, but after centuries of tyranny and exploitation, one shies away from hero worship and personalty cults.


-----Original Message-----
From: Carolyn Kunin <chaiselongue@ATT.NET>
To: NABOKV-L <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Sat, Dec 21, 2013 8:01 pm
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Dr Mertvago & Dr Swissair [for the List, not just Mary E]

My point exactly, Mary. I very much dislike the hero-worship sometimes displayed by some of our List members. It is VN who has feet of clay - yes, my point, exactly.

Carolyn



From: Mary H. Efremov <mbutterfly549@AOL.COM>
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2013 6:05 AM
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Dr Mertvago & Dr Swissair

veneration of icons was not something VN did;widespread esteem of AS may have been the norm,but not everyone is obliged to follow.We have a long history of hero worship   as humans but strong individualists resist this, and note, rather the clay feet.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jansy Mello <jansy.nabokv-L@AETERN.US>
To: NABOKV-L <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
Sent: Wed, Dec 18, 2013 12:31 pm
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Dr Mertvago & Dr Swissair

Carolyn Kunin [ to Alexey*] "...:You should be ashamed -  when I was growing up there was no one more highly respected.[  ] p.s. As a physician working in "Lumbago" he was - well - a saint. But who cares? Not the shameless of this world, that's for sure. 
 
Jansy Mello: Good for you, Carolyn. Although Albert Schweitzer doesn't really need that we take up arms to defend him, as a Nabokov admirer I resent his often silly and biased "Strong Opinions" and appreciate it when some of our verbal genius's expostulations are brought up for discussion.
Lumbago must refer to the lumbar pains VN often complained of or to his bile**, but it may suggest also Caribean Tobago (there are diverse references to Trinidad and the Trinity student days in VN's works, or to the Caribean, the place of Demon Veen's fall) and Doctor Mertvago refers, indirectly, to Pasternak's ("you man "parsnip"*) successful novel and, perhaps, even to another doctor writer, Tchekhov.    
 
 
 
.......................................................................................
* - Why not just call a turnip a turnip? /You mean "parsnip" (pasternak)?
Do you also despise that other nabokovian bete noir, Albert Schweitzer? Never heard of him (unless he is "Dr Swissair of Lumbago" mentioned in Ada by Dorothy Vinelander).
"There was once Doctor Mertvago
who lived in a place called Lumbago..."
** - In the sense of the "Four Humours" (Hippocrates)



Este email está limpo de vírus e malwares porque a proteção do avast! Antivírus está ativa.

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Google Search
the archive		 Contact
the Editors		 NOJ Zembla Nabokv-L
Policies		 Subscription options AdaOnline NSJ Ada Annotations L-Soft Search the archive VN Bibliography Blog
All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.
Google Search
the archive		 Contact
the Editors		 NOJ Zembla Nabokv-L
Policies		 Subscription options AdaOnline NSJ Ada Annotations L-Soft Search the archive VN Bibliography Blog

All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.