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Vladimir Nabokov: The Enchanter

Peder said:
I thought the two girls to be different in two major ways but, most of all, that Lolita was so hard to figure out in contrast to the clear virtue of Rochelle*. I am glad to see that you have seen a major way that the two girls are the same, and in an important way that dwarfs their differences. Applause! Brava!

*Why Rochelle? I'n tired of calling her 'the daughter' and decided to give her a virtuous sounding name, at least for this post. :) She deserves a name.:cool:

Peder
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You know Peder I feel like its like trying to figure out people in real life. It isn't easy is it? Nabokov makes Lolita so multi-dimensional that we want to take her character and treat it as though its a one or two layered character. And that doesn't work with VN. So it takes awhile for all the layers to sink in to our consciousness and steep awhile to get the real flavor. Like making a good cup of tea. It has to steep.

Where as Rochelle was more or less a plain almost single/double layered character. There were hints of her intelligence, alertness and eventually of her sense of "self" in the very end.
 
pontalba said:
You know Peder I feel like its like trying to figure out people in real life. It isn't easy is it? Nabokov makes Lolita so multi-dimensional that we want to take her character and treat it as though its a one or two layered character. And that doesn't work with VN. So it takes awhile for all the layers to sink in to our consciousness and steep awhile to get the real flavor. Like making a good cup of tea. It has to steep.

Where as Rochelle was more or less a plain almost single/double layered character. There were hints of her intelligence, alertness and eventually of her sense of "self" in the very end.
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Pontalba,
you know Pontalba. I am impressed with the way you can think about what you have read and put a real person to the words on VN's printed page, be they complicated or simple persons. I also have to let the story sink in and brew before ideas begin to form, so I know what you mean. But my tea always comes out better than my story, whereas you brew a wonderful story and I bet your tea is amazing also.
Keying on your word "end," from what I've been reading that is in fact where VN finally puts the key thoughts that will explain the whole story, tie it all together and make it clear -- that "move in the far corner of the chess board" as I have now seen him call it a couple of times.
I like the Rochelle you have put together, and the Lolita too.
Them's good girl characters, :)
peder
 
I no longer know which thread I'm posting in anymore, but I wanted to report back that I'm liking Pnin -- both the man and the book. I think pontalba called him a sweetie, and that's how I see him. I love the image of him "optimistically ringing at the front door" of their neighbor's house with their old dog "standing beside him in much the same candid attitude as he." (Somebody mentioned David Suchet in another thread, and I can see him playing the part of Pnin in the movie.)

:D I also love it that he warns his prospective landlady up front that he is going to have to have all of his teeth pulled (a "repulsive" procedure), and that after he does (and when he gets used to his new false teeth), he is so earnestly recommending it to others. Pnin is indeed a sweetie so far! :D
 
I agree SIL, Suchet would be perfect! I might have said that to begin with, who knows! LOL Shal we begin casting? :p
 
pontalba said:
I agree SIL, Suchet would be perfect! I might have said that to begin with, who knows! LOL Shal we begin casting? :p
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Wait wait, wait! I don't even know all the characters yet! Give me a coupla hours. :eek: Meanwhile, I'll just picture Pun-neen as Su-shay. :D
 
StillILearn said:
I no longer know which thread I'm posting in anymore, but I wanted to report back that I'm liking Pnin -- both the man and the book. I think pontalba called him a sweetie, and that's how I see him. I love the image of him "optimistically ringing at the front door" of their neighbor's house with their old dog "standing beside him in much the same candid attitude as he." (Somebody mentioned David Suchet in another thread, and I can see him playing the part of Pnin in the movie.)

:D I also love it that he warns his prospective landlady up front that he is going to have to have all of his teeth pulled (a "repulsive" procedure), and that after he does (and when he gets used to his new false teeth), he is so earnestly recommending it to others. Pnin is indeed a sweetie so far! :D
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Maybe what we need is another thread? ;)
 
pontalba said:
Maybe what we need is another thread? ;)
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Pontalba,
It is certainly getting to sound like that to me too; we have so many different thoughts working, and so many different sources of information that come up in discussion (Vera, Boyd, google links), plus any nymber of VN novels. it sounds like a general catch-all thread is what we could use. This would be a good time to open one. Any yay's or nay's? Anyone?

Or maybe just a Pnin thread, if that is the book we are going to next get behind? It looks like we are getting toward three or four who are in some stage of reading it.

Peder
 
Peder said:
Pontalba,
It is certainly getting to sound like that to me too; we have so many different thoughts working, and so many different sources of information that come up in discussion (Vera, Boyd, google links), plus any nymber of VN novels. it sounds like a general catch-all thread is what we could use. This would be a good time to open one. Any yay's or nay's? Anyone?

Peder
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One Yay Here! :D

How soon? ;)
 
pontalba said:
One Yay Here! :D

How soon? ;)
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Pontalba,
Wow, quick response!
Maybe a day?

I put up a similar request over in Lolita and that is where the avalanche response occurred, so that is where the discussion is now taking place, as you have already noticed.

Enchanter and Lolita still open for business,
Peder
 
StillILearn said:
Wait wait, wait! I don't even know all the characters yet! Give me a coupla hours. :eek: Meanwhile, I'll just picture Pun-neen ars Su-shay. :D
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Ri-yet.
.....
 
StillILearn said:
Wait wait, wait! I don't even know all the characters yet! Give me a coupla hours. :eek: Meanwhile, I'll just picture Pun-neen as Su-shay. :D
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LOL! :cool:

I'd better hurry up and finish myself! :eek:
now I'd really better get to sleep! :rolleyes:
 
SFG75 said:
So what's the next Nabokov book that we should discuss?
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Depends a little which way one wants to go: harder or easier reading.
Pale Fire is harder, Pnin is easier (Ada seems to be a real workout. Opinions, Steffee?). But so far it sounds like more people have done more of Pnin than any other.

So Pnin may be a good book to open an impending general Nabokov thread later this afternoon? /hint hint/

BTW not too late at all for all thoughts to be heard (see Lolita) Participation earnestly encouraged.

Peder
 
StillILearn said:
What about Pale Fire? Wait, you mean after Pnin?
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SIL

Just ran across this again, and I wondered too. But Steffee has and I believe started Ada or Ardor, and Peder started it as well, and I have it.

Oh, maybe I should post this in the other thread. Oh, I'll leave it here. :)
 
pontalba said:
SIL

Just ran across this again, and I wondered too. But Steffee has and I believe started Ada or Ardor, and Peder started it as well, and I have it.

Oh, maybe I should post this in the other thread. Oh, I'll leave it here. :)
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I finished Ada. :)
 
I need to reread lol :eek: :D

It's tough-going, much more so than Lolita, or Enchanter, or what I've read so far in Pnin... I did make a list of references for comparison with Lolita et al. though, for when we get round to discussing :)
 
steffee said:
I need to reread lol :eek: :D

It's tough-going, much more so than Lolita, or Enchanter, or what I've read so far in Pnin... I did make a list of references for comparison with Lolita et al. though, for when we get round to discussing :)
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LOL! But dare I mention it, but there is something by Brian Boyd...Nabokov's Ada, The Place of Consciousness
:D
 
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