Vladimir Nabokov: Glory

[pontalba]

Two sides of the same coin in other words. Yes, I believe that to be the case. Nabokov cannot help but know and sympathize, and realize all the political shadings that were hidden from American view. The propaganda machine was working overtime to delude anyone, meaning the same Americans, that would defend those that were being defamed.

 

[pontalba]

Apolitical? Maybe. But only if we ignore the trials that Zilanov et als endured. Nabokov made it very clear what those fleeing had to suffer. And who could in good conscience ignore that? Is that why his novels did not do so well when first written?
I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[Peder]

Apolitical? Maybe. But only if we ignore the trials that Zilanov et als endured. Nabokov made it very clear what those fleeing had to suffer. And who could in good conscience ignore that? Is that why his novels did not do so well when first written?
I'm just thinking out loud.

Pontalba,
Hmmm. Sounds like a good thing to be on the lookout for as I reread (slowly). Dunno know the answers. I was mainly thinking of those glorious descriptions of the farmland coutryside and boating on the Cam which seem so far from the real world. Martin's life out in the country, especially, just seemed so different from anything I would have expected of Nabokov, and so rapturously described! Almost as being the highest and happiest possible form of existence.
Peder

 

[pontalba]

I agree, the countryside descriptions were indeed peaceful beyond description. All I meant were the descriptions of what the emigres had gone thru to leave Russia safely. Knowing their suffering has to bring up bad feelings for the ones that caused the suffering. Political in that sense. Probably political is not the right word. But its a kissing cousin.

 

[Peder]

I agree, the countryside descriptions were indeed peaceful beyond description. All I meant were the descriptions of what the emigres had gone thru to leave Russia safely. Knowing their suffering has to bring up bad feelings for the ones that caused the suffering. Political in that sense. Probably political is not the right word. But its a kissing cousin.

Pontalba,
Now I see what you are saying. Emigres who were themselves living in the cramped quarters that VN describes for Sonia and her family the last time that Martin sees her, for example, might not have been eager to read about those hardships. Or any other hardships they had endured. Could be. Makes sense to me.
Peder

 

[pontalba]

Pontalba,
Now I see what you are saying. Emigres who were themselves living in the cramped quarters that VN describes for Sonia and her family the last time that Martin sees her, for example, might not have been eager to read about those hardships. Or any other hardships they had endured. Could be. Makes sense to me.
Peder

But also feelings of animosity against the perpetrators of the hardships. If the Bolshevist propaganda machine was busy cranking out lies and half truths about the emigres, the Americans or any Westerners would not be too interested in helping the emigres. Westerners would not know the true story of what was going on there.

 

[Peder]

But also feelings of animosity against the perpetrators of the hardships. If the Bolshevist propaganda machine was busy cranking out lies and half truths about the emigres, the Americans or any Westerners would not be too interested in helping the emigres. Westerners would not know the true story of what was going on there.

Pontalba,
That seems to be very true and exactly what gets under Nabokov's skin the most.
Peder

 

[pontalba]

We cannot even begin to imagine what Nabokov went thru, both V&V. To literally have to run for your life, lose everything you and your family have both worked for and taken for granted growing up as the Golden Boy.......its amazing he wasn't embittered so badly as to suffocate his (huge) talent. But he absorbed the experiences and made it part and parcel of his talent.

Ironically it may have actually worked in his favor talent wise.

Great way of thumbing his nose at the bad guys isn't it?

 

[StillILearn]

... Martin was one of those people for whom a good book before sleep is something to look forward to all day. Such a person, happening to recall, amidst routine occupations, that on his bedside table a book is waiting for him, in perfect safety, feels a surge of inexpressible happiness.

................

 

[pontalba]

Yaaaaayyyy Team!

 

[Peder]

We cannot even begin to imagine what Nabokov went thru, both V&V. To literally have to run for your life, lose everything you and your family have both worked for and taken for granted growing up as the Golden Boy.......its amazing he wasn't embittered so badly as to suffocate his (huge) talent. But he absorbed the experiences and made it part and parcel of his talent.

Ironically it may have actually worked in his favor talent wise.

Great way of thumbing his nose at the bad guys isn't it?

Pontalba,
Now that you mention, I recall that he once started out a thought with the statement that it wasn't the loss of the wealth that mattered and now, in view of your observation about his relative serenity, I guess I can really believe what he said. His writing does indeed not show an embitterment or a consuming anger that one might well expect. His talent probably saved his sanity and his perspective, something I would have never expected.
Peder

 

[Peder]

SIL,
What a catch!
And what a guy, that Martin!
Indeed, YAY team!
YAY, YAY, YAY!
Peder

 

[StillILearn]

Peder = His writing does indeed not show an embitterment or a consuming anger that one might well expect. His talent probably saved his sanity and his perspective, something I would have never expected.

In Glory, one of his characters makes this reference to conditions in Russia: ( on page 90)

... [Iogolevich] spoke of executions, of famine, of St Petersburg turned into a desert, of the regime's malice, stupidity and vulgarity.

 

[Peder]

In Glory, one of his characters makes this reference to conditions in Russia: ( on page 90)

SIL,
Umm, yeees, his characters are quite capable of voicing acidic feelings against the regime that VN himself no doubt had, but I was thinking more that he was still capable of writing novels that were not political tracts but rather imaginary adventures in imaginary setings with imaginary characters created by his own literary imagination. That sounds very vague, and the only way I know to clarify is by example.

During the height of the Cold War, for example, I suppose I would single out Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon as an example of a story that, from what I have heard and read, possibly incorporated every ounce of the author's anger/hatred/disappointment at the political repression of the then Soviet Communist regime. Or, in a different way, Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm were satirical novels, but each in its entirety was constructed to convey their author's polemical message. And, just recently, I saw mention here in TBF of Ayn Rand's Anthem, which I read and which rather directly lays out her ideas for right and justice in society in what I would call a parable.

So I'm not sure how to put it into words, but I can think of such examples as these which are quite different from VN's novels in their tone and intent. In VN's works I can only identify two -- Bend Sinister and Invitation to a Beheading -- that seem to be overtly political in tone and registering his own personal cry against govermental subjugation.

If I say he wrote 'plain' novels, that sounds dumb, so since I don't really have the technical vocabulary to describe what I mean, let me say that VN seemed to deliberately try to build his career on writng 'literary' novels, rather than 'political' novels, and certainly not 'polemical' ones. With perhaps the possible exception of the two novels mentioned, I would not say he ever wrote what once would have been called 'agit-prop' by the Cold War Soviet regime. But given his past, he might well have devoted his energies in that direction, and that is What I think he did not do. Separately I have read that he was very definitely anti-communist in his personal views, but by and large one has to read that separately rather than gain that impression through his novels. Lolita, Pnin and Pale Fire are his famous American novels. They are not anti-Communist novels. (And they are of course not pro-Communist novels either, lest anybody misunderstand!)

Maybe that's only as clear as thin mud, or thick , but that is what I had in mind with my remark.
Peder

 

[Peder]

Please ignore what would have been a duplicate post.
Peder

 

[pontalba]

SIL I'd have to agree with all of what Peder has written above, and add that I don't see any Personal Vendetta propagandaism in his work. Since the novel takes place in that particular time frame, some of the characters are bound to have very strong feelings about the terrible ordeal they'd been thru. But all is within the frame of the novel, and no soapboxes are evident. IMO. To leave out all references to the Bolshevist regime would be sort of the same as not mentioning the Civil War in Gone With the Wind.

Now the novels Peder mentioned, Bend Sinister and Invitation to a Beheading I have not read, so I don't know how that goes.......yet. But they are on the list. The near future list at that.

 

[StillILearn]

Peder = Maybe that's only as clear as thin mud, or thick , but that is what I had in mind with my remark.

Yes, I agree. He clearly exercised great restraint, even after one might have supposed that he may have had relatives or loved ones who could have been endangered by what he wrote.

Now, there's a convoluted sentence for you.

 

[StillILearn]

Pontalba!

I've been trying to wait for an appropriate time to post this photo, but patience is just not one of my virtues! (I was waiting for you to put back one of your cat avatars, but now will just have to do.)

 

[pontalba]

Just for you SIL

I saw that article. I will have to buy the book!

 

[StillILearn]

Just for you SIL

I saw that article. I will have to buy the book!

There we go!