Subject
Andrei Makine and Speak, Memory
Date
Body
EDITOR's NOTE. SarahFunke@aol.com is curator of Glen Horowitz,
Bookseller's recent exhibition of books inscribed by Nabokov with
butterfly images for his wife Vera. She is also the author-compiler of
VERA's BUTTERFLIES, a beautifully illustrated cataloque of the exhibition.
I second her recommendation below re Makine's first book.
--------------------------------------
I just finished Andrei Makine's DREAMS OF MY RUSSIAN SUMMERS and think
that anyone who's read SPEAK, MEMORY will enjoy it thoroughly. If this was
mentioned when it was published (2 years ago, I think) or if you are trying
your best to keep the list more focussed on VN, please disregard this remark
for the list but at least acquire the book for yourself! Though I'd love to
hear what readers think of DREAMS, I would like to respect the fact that this
is a Nabokov list and not a Makine list.
Best wishes,
sf
PS: After much hair-tearing, emailing, and faxing of the inscription to
another dealer and to Brian Boyd, Glenn opted to purchase the LOLITA for
resale. He would not do so were he not convinced of its authenticity. At my
much lower level of experience and reputation, I was not nearly so confident.
Though the writing does, indeed, look "real," the absence of any real
biographical support for such an inscription made me hestitate. If the book
were inscribed to someone more easily identifiable in VN biography, it would
be easier to allow for the uncommon aspects: of the nearly 200 Nabokov
inscribed books I've seen--to Bishop, to Vera, to Sonia, to Anna--this is the
first I think I've seen on the title page, and also, I belive, the only
undated inscription. But then I suppose one can make the case that VN of
course realized by not dating and placing the inscription he was devaluing
it. Anyway, thanks for the referral--it proved to be very educational for me.
Bookseller's recent exhibition of books inscribed by Nabokov with
butterfly images for his wife Vera. She is also the author-compiler of
VERA's BUTTERFLIES, a beautifully illustrated cataloque of the exhibition.
I second her recommendation below re Makine's first book.
--------------------------------------
I just finished Andrei Makine's DREAMS OF MY RUSSIAN SUMMERS and think
that anyone who's read SPEAK, MEMORY will enjoy it thoroughly. If this was
mentioned when it was published (2 years ago, I think) or if you are trying
your best to keep the list more focussed on VN, please disregard this remark
for the list but at least acquire the book for yourself! Though I'd love to
hear what readers think of DREAMS, I would like to respect the fact that this
is a Nabokov list and not a Makine list.
Best wishes,
sf
PS: After much hair-tearing, emailing, and faxing of the inscription to
another dealer and to Brian Boyd, Glenn opted to purchase the LOLITA for
resale. He would not do so were he not convinced of its authenticity. At my
much lower level of experience and reputation, I was not nearly so confident.
Though the writing does, indeed, look "real," the absence of any real
biographical support for such an inscription made me hestitate. If the book
were inscribed to someone more easily identifiable in VN biography, it would
be easier to allow for the uncommon aspects: of the nearly 200 Nabokov
inscribed books I've seen--to Bishop, to Vera, to Sonia, to Anna--this is the
first I think I've seen on the title page, and also, I belive, the only
undated inscription. But then I suppose one can make the case that VN of
course realized by not dating and placing the inscription he was devaluing
it. Anyway, thanks for the referral--it proved to be very educational for me.