Is there evidence that Thomas Mann [d. 1955] had read Nabokov? are
there known comments? I find none in the Archive.
Thanks.
Sandy Drescher
Here is the archived abstract of my MA thesis on the subject:
http://listserv.ucsb.edu/lsv-cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0707&L=nabokv-l&T=0&P=3077
Short answer: There is no evidence.
Long answer: Some striking similarities between Nabokov’s Sebastian Knight and Mann’s Doktor Faustus suggest that Mann might have known Nabokov’s book. He was also in contact with Nabokov’s first American publisher and a few other intellectuals and academics who were early admirers of Nabokov’s English prose. But these links are too weak to count as circumstantial evidence, and they are countered by the fact that neither Mann’s letters nor his notoriously detailed diaries make any mention of Nabokov. The similarities between Nabokov’s and Mann’s novel can only be discussed within a broader context, not by asserting a direct influence.
Apart from this specific issue, it is possible – not provable - that Mann read some of Nabokov’s contributions to journals and magazines in the 1940s. (For example, Mann notes in his diary that he read the 1st issue of Russian Review which contained Nabokov’s essay on Lermontov.) But if he read these articles, he did not find them impressive enough to note the name of the author. As far as I can tell after following several tracks, there is no factual evidence that Mann consciously read any of Nabokov’s writings. It’s a fascinating question, but looking for answers is not a very rewarding pastime.
Jan Stottmeister