Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

Describing his transatlantic journey with Lucette (Van's and Ada's half-sister who commits suicide by jumping from Admiral Tobakoff into the ocean), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions two American psychiatrists who had died an odd death in the Bocaletto range, the older fellow from heart failure and his boy friend by suicide:

Describing his transatlantic journey with Lucette (Van's and Ada's half-sister who commits suicide by jumping from Admiral Tobakoff into the ocean), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions Captain Cowley (a bore and an ignoramus):

At the Tobakoff bar Lucette (in VN's novel Ada, 1969, Van's and Ada's half-sister who commits suicide by juming from Admiral Tobakoff into the Atlantic) tells Toby the barman that Van will pay him tomorrow and bash his false teeth in:

On the fascinating flyleaf of Van's pocket book of poetry (a collection of the most beautiful and famous short poems in the English language) with which Van wants to reward Lucette (in VN's novel Ada, 1969, Van's and Ada's half-sister) there are several profiles of boys (Cheshcat, Zogdog, Fancytart, and Ada-like Van himself):

They tried all sorts of other tricks.

The element that destroys Demon Veen (in VN’s novel Ada, 1969, Van’s and Ada’s father who perishes in a mysterious airplane disaster above the Pacific) is air:

Furnished Space, l’espace meublé (known to us only as furnished and full even if its contents be ‘absence of substance’ — which seats the mind, too), is mostly watery so far as this globe is concerned. In that form it destroyed Lucette. Another variety, more or less atmospheric, but no less gravitational and loathsome, destroyed Demon.

In his apologetic note to Lucette (Van’s and Ada’s half-sister) written after the dinner in 'Ursus' and debauch à trois in Van's Manhattan flat Van Veen (the narrator and main character of VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions pilots of tremendous airships and coarse, smelly coachmen:

Describing his first summer with Ada at Ardis, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) compares Lucette (Van's and Ada's half-sister) to the girl in Ah, cette Line (a popular novel):

In his Parizhskaya poema ("The Paris Poem," 1943) VN says that this life will be given with a different cast, in a different manner, in a new theater:

Describing his visit to Brownhill (Ada's boarding school for girls), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions soft-toned Miss Cleft, the headmistress:

At breakfast after the Night of the Burning Barn (when Van and Ada make love for the first time) Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) says that Uncle Dan is all wet:

Meanwhile, Uncle Dan, in delayed action, chased an imaginary insect off his pate, looked up, looked around, and at last acknowledged the newcomer.

‘Oh yes, Ada,’ he said, ‘Van here is anxious to know something. What were you doing, my dear, while he and I were taking care of the fire?’