Reading about poisons in an encyclopedia, Martha and Franz (the characters in VN’s novel “King, Queen, Knave,” 1928) find out that Roman law saw in venefitsiy (deliberate toxication) a blend of murder and betrayal:
Drei being German for “three,” the name Dreyer (of the king in VN’s novel “King, Queen, Knave,” 1928) seems to hint at troyka (the three), one of the three magic cards in Pushkin’s story Pikovaya dama (“The Queen of Spades,” 1834):
In “King, Queen, Knave,” the English version of VN’s novel Korol’, dama, valet (1928), the inventor mentions “voskin” (a portmanteau combining vosk, Russian for “wax,” and skin):
Новое дело Драйера, точно, отличалось некоторой таинственностью.
According to Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Lolita, 1955), his wife Charlotte (Lolita’s mother) is a very mediocre mermaid:
According to Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Lolita, 1955), his wife Charlotte (Lolita’s mother) is a very mediocre mermaid:
In VN’s novel Korol’, dama, valet (“King, Queen, Knave,” 1928) Dreyer with a mesmeric gesture deposits the inventor in the leathern luxury of an over-stuffed chair:
The name of the Dreyers's dog in VN’s novel Korol’, dama, valet (“King, Queen, Knave,” 1928), Tom seems to hint at Tomski, a character in Pushkin’s story Pikovaya dama (“The Queen of Spades,” 1833). At the end of Pushkin’s story Chekalinski tells Hermann (the mad gambler): Dama vasha ubita (“your queen has lost”). Literally, Chekalinski’s words mean: “your lady is killed.” VN’s novel ends in Martha’s death.
The name of the Dreyers's dog in VN’s novel Korol’, dama, valet (“King, Queen, Knave,” 1928), Tom seems to hint at Tomski, a character in Pushkin’s story Pikovaya dama (“The Queen of Spades,” 1833). At the end of Pushkin’s story Chekalinski tells Hermann (the mad gambler): Dama vasha ubita (“your queen has lost”). Literally, Chekalinski’s words mean: “your lady is killed.” VN’s novel ends in Martha’s death.
In VN's novel Ada (1969) general Durmanov (Van's, Ada's and Lucette's maternal grandfather) wondered why his wife did not call one of her twins Tofana:
