Subject
Annotation: Ada's Ardez by John Rea (accompanied by a modest
proposal from the editor)
proposal from the editor)
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. John Rea is quite right in pointing to the importance of
maps and guides in close readings of VN. Just offhand, one thinks of those
blue guide books used by HH and Lo (AAA); Hugh in TT consults a Michelin
guide (and finds dirty puns), Pnin misreads a road map and gets lost, etc.
Some literary geographer should prepare an annotated book of maps to
accompany the novels--an atlas of ADA, one of Nova Zembla (showing
where the treasure is hidden), Berlin in the 20s, St. Petersburg in 1910,
etc. Scene maps with angles of visions laid out would yield some
intriguing information. Who is facing which way and why? Maybe for a web
site?
----------------------------
From: "John A. Rea" <jarea@uky.campuscwix.net>
On the third page of Part Four of _Ada_ (page 537 of the edition used
by Bryan Boyd for his running Annotations in the _Nabokovian_: which
I shall therefore use as a sort of "standard", as I use Appel's second
edition of _Annotated Lolita_), Van is driving through Switzerland, and
composing his "Texture of Time". He fumbles in his glove compartment
for a map, and twice later in that chapter he calls attention to maps.
In Europe this is probably the ubiquitous (!) Michelin series: the
tire /tyre people who also publish the red an green guides, likewise
findable in most European glove compartments.
He also mentions in that paragraph (and later in the chapter) Ardez.
Of course the near homophony with Ardis will have struck the reader,
as it clearly struck VN. But we must never stop just there (just as
we should never read Nabokov without a map at hand, as Mr. Pascoe
pointed out some time ago on this list). So let us glance at our
trusty Michelin Green Guide for Switzerland: there, on page 102, we
find the brief, but informative description, "ARDEZ--this village at
the foot of the Steinberg is worth a halt for its painted houses with
charming flower-decked bow windows.The subject of Original Sin has
enabled the decorator of the Adam and Eve House to paint a study of
luxuriant foliage."
Yes, indeed, quite luxuriant.
John
maps and guides in close readings of VN. Just offhand, one thinks of those
blue guide books used by HH and Lo (AAA); Hugh in TT consults a Michelin
guide (and finds dirty puns), Pnin misreads a road map and gets lost, etc.
Some literary geographer should prepare an annotated book of maps to
accompany the novels--an atlas of ADA, one of Nova Zembla (showing
where the treasure is hidden), Berlin in the 20s, St. Petersburg in 1910,
etc. Scene maps with angles of visions laid out would yield some
intriguing information. Who is facing which way and why? Maybe for a web
site?
----------------------------
From: "John A. Rea" <jarea@uky.campuscwix.net>
On the third page of Part Four of _Ada_ (page 537 of the edition used
by Bryan Boyd for his running Annotations in the _Nabokovian_: which
I shall therefore use as a sort of "standard", as I use Appel's second
edition of _Annotated Lolita_), Van is driving through Switzerland, and
composing his "Texture of Time". He fumbles in his glove compartment
for a map, and twice later in that chapter he calls attention to maps.
In Europe this is probably the ubiquitous (!) Michelin series: the
tire /tyre people who also publish the red an green guides, likewise
findable in most European glove compartments.
He also mentions in that paragraph (and later in the chapter) Ardez.
Of course the near homophony with Ardis will have struck the reader,
as it clearly struck VN. But we must never stop just there (just as
we should never read Nabokov without a map at hand, as Mr. Pascoe
pointed out some time ago on this list). So let us glance at our
trusty Michelin Green Guide for Switzerland: there, on page 102, we
find the brief, but informative description, "ARDEZ--this village at
the foot of the Steinberg is worth a halt for its painted houses with
charming flower-decked bow windows.The subject of Original Sin has
enabled the decorator of the Adam and Eve House to paint a study of
luxuriant foliage."
Yes, indeed, quite luxuriant.
John