JM: There is a cryptic remark by Nabokov, concerning
Luzhin's madness. It's to be found in the appendix to "The Stories of Vladimir
Nabokov". He writes on "BACHMANN" (page 116) - "Bakhman" was written in Berlin in October 1924. It was serialized
in Rul\ November 2 and 4 of that year, and included in my Vozvrashchenie Chorba
collection of short stories, Slovo, Berlin, 1930. I am told that a pianist
existed with some of my invented musician's peculiar traits. In certain other
respects he is related to Luzhin, the chess player of The Defense (Zashchita
Luzhina, 1930), G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1964.
After all, if there was a pianist "with some of
my invented musician's peculiar traits",
what are those other items that bring him close to Luzhin (as Nabokov
says:"in certain other
respects"..)?