Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

In March 1905 Demon Veen (in VN's novel Ada, 1969, Van's and Ada's father) perishes in a mysterious airplane disaster above the Pacific. In the same year, soon after his father's death, Van is elected to the Rattner Chair of Philosophy in the University of Kingston:

Describing Lucette's visit to Kingston (Van's American University), Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Ada, 1969) quotes old Rattner's words 'You will "sturb," Van, with an alliteration on your lips:’

According to Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Lolita, 1955), Gaston Godin (Humbert's chess partner at Beardsley) got involved in a sale histoire, in Naples of all places:

In March 1905 Demon Veen (in VN's novel Ada, 1969, Van's and Ada's father) perishes in a mysterious airplane disaster above the Pacific. In the same year, soon after his father's death, Van is elected to the Rattner Chair of Philosophy in the University of Kingston:

Describing the King's escape from Zembla, Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions a shiver of alfear (uncontrollable fear caused by elves) that ran between his shoulderblades:

In his Foreword to Shade's poem Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) calls Shade "my beloved old conjurer:"

According to Professor Hurley, the chief passion of Samuel Shade (the poet’s father in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962) was the study of the feathered tribe:

Describing his meetings with Ada (now married to Andrey Vinelander) in October 1905, Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) mentions Dorothy Vinelander (Ada's sister-in-law) and her contralto:

According to Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Lolita, 1955), when he first met Rita she had but recently divorced her third husband - and a little more recently had been abandoned by her seventh cavalier servant:

In a conversation at the Faculty Club John Shade (the poet in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962) asks Kinbote (Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) if his name means regicide in Zemblan: