Subject
[Fwd: Nabokov and Austen]
From
Date
Body
"...why do you think it is necessary to see Nabokov as a "passionate
Janeite" (for he disliked the idea of literary schools and labels)
before we can find a balanced view into some of his "chinese-in-a-box"
allusions to her in his novels? Your information about "hidden clues" in
Jane Austen is quite fascinating."
Thanks to those who have responded so far to my suggestions of deep,
positive, and ongoing interest by Nabokov in Jane Austen's writings,
both wearing his hat as literary critic _and_ his hat as writer of
modernist fiction.
I am hot on the trail of a "scent" I detected the other day in this
regard, which I will be sleuthing out this weekend, so I promise I will
have something very interesting for Nabokovians to ponder within the
next day or so.
Why do I think it necessary to see Nabokov as a "passionate Janeite"?
Because, in a nutshell, I assert that he recognized Austen as a deeply
kindred literary spirit--a riddling, erudite, wordplay maniac with an
unflinching willingness to explore the dark side of human sexuality.
Yes, I am talking not only about Nabokov, but Austen as well. ;)
I don't doubt that Nabokov hated labels and schools of thought, which is
precisely why I think he was drawn to Jane Austen--I sense that he
perceived in her a writer who pretended to be one thing on the surface,
but was precisely the opposite underneath the surface.
I would imagine that Nabokov kept the secret of what he saw in Jane
Austen very jealously, and certainly was not about to publicly proclaim
his insights--he was a lone wolf, and he recognized Jane Austen as a
lone wolf.
I felt all of that immediately in Nabokov's "faux" comments to Wilson,
and now what I have found in my preliminary research on Nabokov since
then (as to whom I candidly admit to having only a small knowledge of
his writings) confirms that what I sensed is really there.
Sometimes it requires a real outsider, someone completely outside the
conventional wisdom about an artist, to see a fresh perspective on him
or her. The conventional wisdom can often be correct, of course, but
sometimes a certain perspective becomes so ingrained that it becomes
impossible to radically think outside the box about that artist--I had
no prior expectations or conceived notions about Nabokov, I just started
from what he actually wrote about Jane Austen. So there is nothing
blocking my view of what I see.
Wasn't Nabokov a writer who was deeply interested in the subjectivity of
human cognition and perception? That's what this is all about!
My understanding about _Lolita_ is that part of Nabokov's towering
achievement is to seduce the reader into identifying with Humbert
Humbert, to make his pedophilia almost seem acceptable---I suggest that
Nabokov learned part of his craft in pulling off that achievement by
reading Austen's _Emma_ very carefully indeed!
Anyway, more on all of this shortly.....
Cheers,
Arnie
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/
Janeite" (for he disliked the idea of literary schools and labels)
before we can find a balanced view into some of his "chinese-in-a-box"
allusions to her in his novels? Your information about "hidden clues" in
Jane Austen is quite fascinating."
Thanks to those who have responded so far to my suggestions of deep,
positive, and ongoing interest by Nabokov in Jane Austen's writings,
both wearing his hat as literary critic _and_ his hat as writer of
modernist fiction.
I am hot on the trail of a "scent" I detected the other day in this
regard, which I will be sleuthing out this weekend, so I promise I will
have something very interesting for Nabokovians to ponder within the
next day or so.
Why do I think it necessary to see Nabokov as a "passionate Janeite"?
Because, in a nutshell, I assert that he recognized Austen as a deeply
kindred literary spirit--a riddling, erudite, wordplay maniac with an
unflinching willingness to explore the dark side of human sexuality.
Yes, I am talking not only about Nabokov, but Austen as well. ;)
I don't doubt that Nabokov hated labels and schools of thought, which is
precisely why I think he was drawn to Jane Austen--I sense that he
perceived in her a writer who pretended to be one thing on the surface,
but was precisely the opposite underneath the surface.
I would imagine that Nabokov kept the secret of what he saw in Jane
Austen very jealously, and certainly was not about to publicly proclaim
his insights--he was a lone wolf, and he recognized Jane Austen as a
lone wolf.
I felt all of that immediately in Nabokov's "faux" comments to Wilson,
and now what I have found in my preliminary research on Nabokov since
then (as to whom I candidly admit to having only a small knowledge of
his writings) confirms that what I sensed is really there.
Sometimes it requires a real outsider, someone completely outside the
conventional wisdom about an artist, to see a fresh perspective on him
or her. The conventional wisdom can often be correct, of course, but
sometimes a certain perspective becomes so ingrained that it becomes
impossible to radically think outside the box about that artist--I had
no prior expectations or conceived notions about Nabokov, I just started
from what he actually wrote about Jane Austen. So there is nothing
blocking my view of what I see.
Wasn't Nabokov a writer who was deeply interested in the subjectivity of
human cognition and perception? That's what this is all about!
My understanding about _Lolita_ is that part of Nabokov's towering
achievement is to seduce the reader into identifying with Humbert
Humbert, to make his pedophilia almost seem acceptable---I suggest that
Nabokov learned part of his craft in pulling off that achievement by
reading Austen's _Emma_ very carefully indeed!
Anyway, more on all of this shortly.....
Cheers,
Arnie
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/