Subject
Re: The New Republic review of Verses and Versions]
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Alexander NemserÂ’s critique of Verses and
Versions has failed on the most fundamental
account. When discussing NabokovÂ’s method of
literal translation, Mr. Nemser should have been
examining the method itself, instead of, in
Nabokov’s own prophetic words, “crossly fishing
out of my pond some of the oddities with which I
had deliberately stocked it” (SO 252). In
addition, Mr. NemserÂ’s claim that NabokovÂ’s style
lacks melodiousness, in his words, “produces the
effect of a strange harmony,” betrays his tin
ear. The opening or concluding lines of Lolita
would suffice in dispelling this bizarre and totally erroneous assertion.
The title of Mr. NemserÂ’s critique may be not
his, but the articleÂ’s entire manner, brash and
brazen, suggests their perfect fit. It appears
that he tried to emulate the tone of Chapter Four
of The Gift. Unfortunately for Mr. Nemser, this
mental experiment blew up in his face: It is one
thing when Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev, a budding
literary talent, after scrupulously researching
the subject, wittily exposes ChernyshevskiÂ’s
mediocrity as a man of letters and the
untenability of his philosophical precepts, and
it is another when Mr. Nemser hastily attempts to
assault the literary style and to debunk the
translation method of NabokovÂ-the task for which
he evidently lacks the appropriate scholarly
temperament and the necessary intellectual
capacity. It will not be surprising that this
critique, which in time Mr. Nemser may deeply
regret writing, will become his own nemesis.
Gavriel Shapiro
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Versions has failed on the most fundamental
account. When discussing NabokovÂ’s method of
literal translation, Mr. Nemser should have been
examining the method itself, instead of, in
Nabokov’s own prophetic words, “crossly fishing
out of my pond some of the oddities with which I
had deliberately stocked it” (SO 252). In
addition, Mr. NemserÂ’s claim that NabokovÂ’s style
lacks melodiousness, in his words, “produces the
effect of a strange harmony,” betrays his tin
ear. The opening or concluding lines of Lolita
would suffice in dispelling this bizarre and totally erroneous assertion.
The title of Mr. NemserÂ’s critique may be not
his, but the articleÂ’s entire manner, brash and
brazen, suggests their perfect fit. It appears
that he tried to emulate the tone of Chapter Four
of The Gift. Unfortunately for Mr. Nemser, this
mental experiment blew up in his face: It is one
thing when Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev, a budding
literary talent, after scrupulously researching
the subject, wittily exposes ChernyshevskiÂ’s
mediocrity as a man of letters and the
untenability of his philosophical precepts, and
it is another when Mr. Nemser hastily attempts to
assault the literary style and to debunk the
translation method of NabokovÂ-the task for which
he evidently lacks the appropriate scholarly
temperament and the necessary intellectual
capacity. It will not be surprising that this
critique, which in time Mr. Nemser may deeply
regret writing, will become his own nemesis.
Gavriel Shapiro
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
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/