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Nabokov & German lit thread
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EDNOTE. Dieter Zimmer is among the world's most distinguished Nabokovians. His contributions are too numerous to list, but see his brief bio at ZEMBLA--
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/iasweb/nabokov/forians.htm
From: Dieter E. Zimmer
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 4:32 AM
Subject: German lit thread
Concerning Nabokov's attitude to German literature, I just happened to come across an old and forgotten interview that has a very explicit statement. After voicing his dislike for Thoman Mann and Albert Schweitzer, the interviewer (Manfred George of "Der Aufbau", New York) asked him if there was any German author he liked. "The answer came without the slightest hesitation. 'Franz Kafka. But not the mystical image of Kafka that has been erected by his friends but the real Kafka. I consider him one of the greatest European authors of our time, and I can always read and reread works like or 'The Metamorphosis' or 'The Castle.' Well, and then... Hofmannsthal and of course Goethe, several poems, a number of scenes from 'Faust'..." (Published in "Die Zeit", April 17, 1959, p.6, retranslated into English by me).
Hofmannsthal was a surprise to me.
Dieter E. Zimmer, Berlin
March 26, 2003
mail@d-e-zimmer.de
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/iasweb/nabokov/forians.htm
From: Dieter E. Zimmer
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 4:32 AM
Subject: German lit thread
Concerning Nabokov's attitude to German literature, I just happened to come across an old and forgotten interview that has a very explicit statement. After voicing his dislike for Thoman Mann and Albert Schweitzer, the interviewer (Manfred George of "Der Aufbau", New York) asked him if there was any German author he liked. "The answer came without the slightest hesitation. 'Franz Kafka. But not the mystical image of Kafka that has been erected by his friends but the real Kafka. I consider him one of the greatest European authors of our time, and I can always read and reread works like or 'The Metamorphosis' or 'The Castle.' Well, and then... Hofmannsthal and of course Goethe, several poems, a number of scenes from 'Faust'..." (Published in "Die Zeit", April 17, 1959, p.6, retranslated into English by me).
Hofmannsthal was a surprise to me.
Dieter E. Zimmer, Berlin
March 26, 2003
mail@d-e-zimmer.de