JM: Carolyn Kunin spotted a typo qua Sybil
Shade's translation from "Odelette," when I mentined that it was
written by Henri de Régnier ( 1804-1936) .
She wrote, off-list:
"Your French poet seems to
combine two life-spans... Henri de was born in 1864 according to my Oxford
Companion to French Literature." Thanks, Carolyn.
Anyway, A.Stadlen's clarification led
me back to Lolita... Besides various "Clare" ( sometimes, quipped by HH as
"Clare Obscure") which might have been abbreviations for "Clarence", I
found previews of Kinbotean insertions, addressing his editor and
complaining about the lack of a good library in his cage (not "cave")
Lolita ( Foreword by J.Ray Jr)
"His lawyer, my good friend and relation, Clarence
Choate Clark, Esq., now of he District of Columbia bar, in asking me to edit the
manuscript, based his request on a clause in his client's will which empowered
my eminent cousin to use his discretion in all matters pertaining to the
preparation of "Lolita" for print."
Lolita ( from the manuscript confessions
)
1. HH addressing his "editor" Clarence and offering an
astonishing preview of Clare Quilty ( as "Aunt Clare"):
"...appeared (I notice the slip of my pen in the
preceding paragraph, but please do not correct it, Clarence) in The Murdered
Playwright
Was pink pig Mr. Swoon absolutely sure my wife
had not telephoned? He was. If she did, would he tell her we had gone on to Aunt
Clare's place?"
2. HH writing in a spirit similar to C.Kinbote
from his Cedarn Cave:
"...(this is not too clear I am afraid, Clarence, but I
did not keep any notes, and have at my disposal only an atrociously crippled
tour book in three volumes, almost a symbol of my torn and tattered past, in
which to check these recollections)..."
QUERY: Who edited the
final manuscript after all?
If it was John Ray Jr. why did he leave HH's
instructions to his lawyer-cousin, Clarence, in
it?
The latter was hired not as an editor, but
in relation to "a clause in
his client's will which empowered my eminent cousin to use his
discretion..." Was Clarence C.C. Esq. a
criminal lawyer? Under what capacity was he hired by
HH?
Bibliography about "Lolita" is so extensive as to be
totally overwhelming and
mind-twisting.
Perhaps the List can offer a short-cut or allow
itself to redundantly open old & settled issues?
(HH's writings were not material for a
psychiatrist's "clinical case", nor were they a raving
pervert's tactics to get his aquittal in court while under the care of
Dr. JRJr. They were addressed to an imaginary jury, but
clearly written to be printed as an autobiographical novel.)