Subject
RES: [NABOKV-L] RES: [NABOKV-L] a book called Lolita
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Robert Roper: "...I'm afraid I've read the extensive Mexico-oiserie in
Lolita, which you present with casual thoroughness in your note, without
much imagination. HH, a quick study in many ways, picks up the standard U.S.
attitude toward Mexico, which is that it is exotic and not that far [.]
There are Mexican notes all over Lolita's genesis, true. Then during the
years of her captivity, her stepfather toys with the idea of escaping "over
the border" just as U.S. citizens have been doing since at least the 1850s,
when on the lam for any number of reason [ . ] I tend to see HH's toying
with the idea of a Mexican escape as more evidence of his ongoing
Americanization [. ]There is an irony in that getting across borders has
been liberating for HH in the past. But now that string is running out for
him. Just on the level of a novelist trying to write a shapely fiction:
what would N. have gained by giving Lolita a ballooning interior third or
fourth act, with equivocal adventures in the land of norteno music and the
PRI? HH's encounter with the territorial U.S. is already immensely
suggestive..I fear I have failed to answer any of your excellent questions*.
Please forgive me."
Jansy Mello: Actually, a little after I addressed my questions to you I
realized how inadequate they were. They came as a result of my surprise at
concluding that Lolita's name must have been particularly inspired by
something Mexican ( VN's description of Mexico-oiserie is ingeniously cruel,
as in the lines "a honeymoon trip to Vera Cruz, and mementoes, among these
Dolores, were all over the place.") which happened at the same time in which
I read about your new book: I let my enthusiasm carry me away. Your reply
came as a surprise because you managed to accommodate them quite well ( HH's
ongoing Americanization and his representation about the standard U.S
attitude toward Mexico and more). Thank you.
.........................................
*- "I was particularly interested in the information about Robert Roper's
fascination with Nabokov's "serial sojourns into the wilds of the West"( the
title "Nabokov in America" has an additional "On the Road to Lolita".). I
wonder if the author could offer a preview of his ideas about the importance
of Mexico to Nabokov, who has Lolita's conception taking place in Vera Cruz,
and to transgressor Humbert Humbert's qualms about "crossing a border" ?
There are other borders being crossed in VN's novels, is this a parallel to
them? Why "Conception Park" is situated in the US, although "in a town on
the Mexican border"? What does HH mean by "be happy abroad" in a sentence in
which he only mentions, again, the Mexican border?" (JM)
Search archive with Google:
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Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
AdaOnline: "http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/
The Nabokov Society of Japan's Annotations to Ada: http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html
The VN Bibliography Blog: http://vnbiblio.com/
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Lolita, which you present with casual thoroughness in your note, without
much imagination. HH, a quick study in many ways, picks up the standard U.S.
attitude toward Mexico, which is that it is exotic and not that far [.]
There are Mexican notes all over Lolita's genesis, true. Then during the
years of her captivity, her stepfather toys with the idea of escaping "over
the border" just as U.S. citizens have been doing since at least the 1850s,
when on the lam for any number of reason [ . ] I tend to see HH's toying
with the idea of a Mexican escape as more evidence of his ongoing
Americanization [. ]There is an irony in that getting across borders has
been liberating for HH in the past. But now that string is running out for
him. Just on the level of a novelist trying to write a shapely fiction:
what would N. have gained by giving Lolita a ballooning interior third or
fourth act, with equivocal adventures in the land of norteno music and the
PRI? HH's encounter with the territorial U.S. is already immensely
suggestive..I fear I have failed to answer any of your excellent questions*.
Please forgive me."
Jansy Mello: Actually, a little after I addressed my questions to you I
realized how inadequate they were. They came as a result of my surprise at
concluding that Lolita's name must have been particularly inspired by
something Mexican ( VN's description of Mexico-oiserie is ingeniously cruel,
as in the lines "a honeymoon trip to Vera Cruz, and mementoes, among these
Dolores, were all over the place.") which happened at the same time in which
I read about your new book: I let my enthusiasm carry me away. Your reply
came as a surprise because you managed to accommodate them quite well ( HH's
ongoing Americanization and his representation about the standard U.S
attitude toward Mexico and more). Thank you.
.........................................
*- "I was particularly interested in the information about Robert Roper's
fascination with Nabokov's "serial sojourns into the wilds of the West"( the
title "Nabokov in America" has an additional "On the Road to Lolita".). I
wonder if the author could offer a preview of his ideas about the importance
of Mexico to Nabokov, who has Lolita's conception taking place in Vera Cruz,
and to transgressor Humbert Humbert's qualms about "crossing a border" ?
There are other borders being crossed in VN's novels, is this a parallel to
them? Why "Conception Park" is situated in the US, although "in a town on
the Mexican border"? What does HH mean by "be happy abroad" in a sentence in
which he only mentions, again, the Mexican border?" (JM)
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
AdaOnline: "http://www.ada.auckland.ac.nz/
The Nabokov Society of Japan's Annotations to Ada: http://vnjapan.org/main/ada/index.html
The VN Bibliography Blog: http://vnbiblio.com/
Search the archive with L-Soft: https://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A0=NABOKV-L
Manage subscription options :http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=NABOKV-L