Subject
Rilke & Nosik VN biog.
Date
Body
In his book "Fictitious Biographies: Vladimir Nabokov's English
Novels" (The Hague; Paris: Mouton, 1977), Herbert Grabes discusses
Nabokov's 'anecdote' about the monkey drawing the bars of his cage
and about the connection of this incident to the beginnings of
"Lolita." Herbert Grabes then refers to Rainer Maria Rilke's
poem "Der Panther: Im Jardin des Plantes, Paris." I find that
connection fascinating, as the poem plays with the idea of being
caged as well as with visual perception and awareness of that state. I
would like to know whether there is any evidence that Nabokov
knew that particular Rilke poem and whether he commented on it.
Furthermore, the publishing house "Aufbau-Verlag" will publish
a German translation of Boris Nossik's "Mir i dar Vladimira
Nabokova" (Moscow 1995) this month:
Boris Nossik. Nabokov: Die Biographie. Aus dem Russischen von
Renate und Thomas Reschke. Mit 16 Fotos. Etwa 500 Seiten.
DM 68.00, OES 503.00, SFR 64.80. ISBN 3-351-02450-9.
Nassim W. Berdjis
English Department
University of California at Davis
Davis, CA 95616
nwberdjis@ucdavis.edu
Novels" (The Hague; Paris: Mouton, 1977), Herbert Grabes discusses
Nabokov's 'anecdote' about the monkey drawing the bars of his cage
and about the connection of this incident to the beginnings of
"Lolita." Herbert Grabes then refers to Rainer Maria Rilke's
poem "Der Panther: Im Jardin des Plantes, Paris." I find that
connection fascinating, as the poem plays with the idea of being
caged as well as with visual perception and awareness of that state. I
would like to know whether there is any evidence that Nabokov
knew that particular Rilke poem and whether he commented on it.
Furthermore, the publishing house "Aufbau-Verlag" will publish
a German translation of Boris Nossik's "Mir i dar Vladimira
Nabokova" (Moscow 1995) this month:
Boris Nossik. Nabokov: Die Biographie. Aus dem Russischen von
Renate und Thomas Reschke. Mit 16 Fotos. Etwa 500 Seiten.
DM 68.00, OES 503.00, SFR 64.80. ISBN 3-351-02450-9.
Nassim W. Berdjis
English Department
University of California at Davis
Davis, CA 95616
nwberdjis@ucdavis.edu