We all read Madame Bovary and saw a woman big with child but few would know that Tolstoy described himself as "pregnant" or would have met a pregnant man.

----- Original Message -----

From: Didier Machu

To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU

Sent: Friday, October 28, 2011 8:54 AM

Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Van's pregnancy in ADA

Dear List,

However interesting the links Alexey Skylarenko makes between the ending of Ada, I, 43 and Tolstoy, I wish to mention that another link more immediately comes to mind.

Just as, in Ada, the ultimate paragraph of Part One consists in one sentence (which Alexey quoted), here is the whole last paragraph of Part I of Flaubert's Madame Bovary (there are three parts to this novel):

"Quand on partit de Tostes, au mois de mars, madame Bovary était enceinte."

"When they moved from Tostes, in March, Mrs. Bovary was pregnant."

Emma Bovary has just been described hurling into the blaze of the fireplace the remains of her wedding nosegay. The doctor and his wife are about to move to Yonville on account of the latter's poor health.

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All private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.