JM: Nabokov describes nymphic enchantment in connection to
something "demonic," not actually "animal." Nevertheless, on chapter 31,
when HH
describes "nymphet love" he concludes that "the
beastly and beautiful merged at one point, and it is that borderline I would
like to fix, and
I feel I fail to do so utterly..."
Sergei Soloviev: I think it is a very good observation. Is it not related
also to the theme that "superhuman" and "underhuman" somewhat are similar? It is
human - to reflect on the "self", but the gods (at least, in the antique sense)
- are they interested in self-reflection? Similar to "animal grace" - absolute
knowledge (and "sureness") kills reflection and is similar to
"instinct".
JM:A curious point (ie: that it's the
imperfect being, the humans, that need to become aware of themselves, whereas
perfection is silent) because it sheds light on Humbert Humbert's
voluminous confessions and his incipient moments
of self-reflection. HH's sheer excesses of "sin"as being the
motor of his art and exuberance. He apprehended only vaguely that "the
beastly and the beautiful merged" - in
him.