Subject
Fw: Solving Pale Fire's riddle
From
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Tomorrow" <thomas_tomorrow@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Hi,
>
> I am new to the list and would like to submit the following comments on
> Pale Fire.
>
> In spring of 92 I submitted a thesis on Pale Fire (Robert Alter and James
> Breslin were my advisors) in which I argued the novel was a riddle based
> upon the Timon of Athens quote (sun = Shade or Hazel, sea = Zembla or art,
> moon = Kinbote).
>
> More importantly, I argued the proof of solving Pale Fire required a
> specific ANSWER and ACT on the part of the reader which would effectively:
> 1) assassinate Kinbote; 2) dissolve the novel "like a house of cards" 3)
> and finally, render the reader into the "Kinbote" for Nabokov's novel (the
> title "Pale Fire" is repeated twice, first as the title of the book and
> again as the title of Shade's poem). Art as the mirror of (ideal) reality
> is masterfully displayed in this elegeant solution.
>
> I suggest the above solution is most consistent with Nabokov's views on
art
> and his genius, and would be interested to hear any comments/criticisms.
> Further, has the above solution ever been suggested before on this forum
or
> elsewhere?
>
> Best,
> TT
From: "Thomas Tomorrow" <thomas_tomorrow@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Hi,
>
> I am new to the list and would like to submit the following comments on
> Pale Fire.
>
> In spring of 92 I submitted a thesis on Pale Fire (Robert Alter and James
> Breslin were my advisors) in which I argued the novel was a riddle based
> upon the Timon of Athens quote (sun = Shade or Hazel, sea = Zembla or art,
> moon = Kinbote).
>
> More importantly, I argued the proof of solving Pale Fire required a
> specific ANSWER and ACT on the part of the reader which would effectively:
> 1) assassinate Kinbote; 2) dissolve the novel "like a house of cards" 3)
> and finally, render the reader into the "Kinbote" for Nabokov's novel (the
> title "Pale Fire" is repeated twice, first as the title of the book and
> again as the title of Shade's poem). Art as the mirror of (ideal) reality
> is masterfully displayed in this elegeant solution.
>
> I suggest the above solution is most consistent with Nabokov's views on
art
> and his genius, and would be interested to hear any comments/criticisms.
> Further, has the above solution ever been suggested before on this forum
or
> elsewhere?
>
> Best,
> TT