Vladimir Nabokov

[steffee]

I would like to read Mary too.

Even Amazon has very limited stocks of Nabokov, but I did notice on the US Amazon, you can buy volumes.... for $22.05

Has anyone read The Gift?

Now a word about what I call 'vibes'. When I meet a person, or read a book, I subconsciously gather information about that person/book. I may not know or remember exactly where I received an impression, but its stored in the data banks to be accessed at any given time. (if that makes any sense. Its not all of it, but its the best I can explain them.

Yes Pontalba, I know what you mean. Just yesterday, in fact, I was in a lecture about impressions, and how even though you might know/read/meet whatever a person who is intelligent, attractive etc, the more you learn about them, the more diluted your opinion of them becomes and (to use the word from earlier again) the schemata you have on the person, become a bit muddled.

The last impression I had of Nabokov would have been shyness, which is why I asked, not that I don't trust your judgement. I haven't read Speak, Memory or any of the others, that's all.

It's interesting that Nabokov, being kinda shy himself, should write about characters with such a varying range of "social phobia", for want of a better term. If he was a shy guy, then he certainly understood it, more than most, of that time, and even today.

 

[Madeline]

Madeline Amazon has Mary. I have not bought it (for a wonder!), but I've seen it advertised there. Just put "Vladimir Nabokov" in the search area.

That where I just got Pnin, must have glanced right over it. I'll go back and look again, thanks.

 

[pontalba]

Has anyone read The Gift?



Yes Pontalba, I know what you mean. Just yesterday, in fact, I was in a lecture about impressions, and how even though you might know/read/meet whatever a person who is intelligent, attractive etc, the more you learn about them, the more diluted your opinion of them becomes and (to use the word from earlier again) the schemata you have on the person, become a bit muddled.

I have it, but have not as of yet read it.

Every time I reverse my opinion based on a First Impression, I am wrong. That first blinding flash (of a person) is pure unadultrated data not to be tampered with. In my case at any rate. It took me a long time to accept that, but I have.

 

[Madeline]

I would like to read Mary too.

Even Amazon has very limited stocks of Nabokov, but I did notice on the US Amazon, you can buy volumes.... for $22.05.

I saw the "groups" and some were $150, I don't understand what is in them, guess I'll eventually find out by revisiting the Amazon site.

 

[Peder]

I'm trying...
Just ordered Pnin and hopefully can begin to discuss something soon. How would I ever find the first novel "Mary"? I'll keep searching, would like to read it.
And I'm so glad to get to begin a discussion at the beginning.

Madeline,
Do hope you enjoy Pnin, it is getting to sound as if that one will turn into a another Fiction thread, with three of us now having finished it at least once. A fourth interested person would probably tip the balance. I would say there is not a big hurry about starting, so please let us know when you are ready.

Mary should be on amazon, at the least, I say without first checking, because I bought it from the shelf of my local Borders store. Somewhat like Pnin, it seems like a simple enough novel to read, with maybe even a simpler plot structure. From the back cover:

A gripping tale of youth, first love and nostalgia...Lev Ganin a vigorous young officer relives his first love affair...The decidedly unappealing boarder living in the next room is Mary's husband...temporarily separated from her

So who knows where any triangle ever leads ? And it's a rather slender 114 pages.

peder

 

[Peder]

Madeline,
Re price, my Mary shows a sticker of only (or 'only') $12.00.
I saw those $100+ dollar prices and they looked to me something like boxed sales displays of multiple copies, or something.
Peder

 

[pontalba]

Madeline,
Re price, my Mary shows a sticker of only (or 'only') $12.00.
I saw those $100+ dollar prices and they looked to me something like boxed sales displays of multiple copies, or something.
Peder

Thanks a lot Peder!
/smack/

Now I am seeing those three in one hardbacks of Nabokov's, but I have so many now that there is at least one or two in every group that I already have. How'd that happen??

 

[steffee]

How'd that happen??

I wonder

 

[pontalba]

I wonder

Gremlins no doubt.

now I have to see whats what at Amazon.....

 

[Peder]

..Yes, that was my comment regarding TP. To me, his not being able to go home colored everything about him. Look at the way he was so happy about the house. And he thought it was as though he'd not left St. Petersburg. It made me want to cry. And when he looked back at the girl's fate. /sob-sigh/

Pontalba,
You in one read are way ahead of me in two reads.
Awed as usual, /sigh/
Peder

 

[Madeline]

Madeline,
Do hope you enjoy Pnin, it is getting to sound as if that one will turn into a another Fiction thread, with three of us now having finished it at least once. A fourth interested person would probably tip the balance. I would say there is not a big hurry about starting, so please let us know when you are ready.

{{{scary}}} I'll never be ready, I'll just jump in when someone else starts something. I'm like a new bride, never done this before

 

[pontalba]

Pontalba,
You in one read are way ahead of me in two reads.
Awed as usual, /sigh/
Peder

Oh Piffle!
I really like the character of Prof. Pnin. When you think of what Nabokov went thru (V&V) getting to this country, you know some of that came thru in Pnin. Didn't we read that it was actually the most autobiographical of his novels?

And Madeline! jump in any time!! With both feet. We don't know what we are talking about, we just are good fakers! LOL I am at any rate.

 

[Peder]

{{{scary}}} I'll never be ready, I'll just jump in when someone else starts something. I'm like a new bride, never done this before

Madeline,
Well then, maybe let us know when you have read it. Someplace (actually in his commentary on Pale Fire) Boyd says you deserve the privelege of discovering Nabokov's novel for your self before having someone else tell you about it. So read up and let us know. As far as jumping in, the water is nice and warm and you won't even notice it, although I do remember well that first-post feeling.
Just remember, we're on your side,
Peder

 

[Kenny Shovel]

Can I ask if you lot have given consideration to asking for a Nabokov Sub-Forum within Author Discussion as a place to collect the various Nabby threads? If you did that I might be tempted to re-read 'Glory' and kick off a discussion about it.

Obv there is a downside, i.e. it might feel a bit cliquey and put some off...

Apols if this idea has been kicked around already but it seems quicker to ask than wade through the threads...

K-S

 

[pontalba]

Kenny
I don't see why we couldn't read Glory. We have been considering a Pnin thread, so all his others would naturally follow at some point.
Peder? Steffee? Everybody....? What thinks thee?

Since we have been considering VN's views on politics and religion, I thought I'd post this Q & A in Strong Opinions. Its part of a Life magazine interview by Jane Howard of Life Magazine. p.47-48:

How do your views on politics and religion affect what you write?

I have never belonged to any political party but have always loathed and despised dictatorships and police states, as well as any sort of oppression. This goes for regimentation of thought, governmental censorship, racial or religious persecution, and all the rest of it. Whether or not my simple credo affects my writing does not interest me. I suppose that my indifference to religion is of the same nature as my dislike of group activities in the domain of political or civic commitments. I have allowed some of my creatures in some of my novels to be restless freethinkers but here again I do not care one bit what kind of faith or brand of non-faith my reader may assign to their maker.

 

[steffee]

I've been gazing adoringly at the Glory page on Amazon. But I kinda gave my credit card to my parents for safe keeping after spending over £70 the other day on books in five minutes, and then going back later for more.

I'm searching all the online catalogues of physical book shops I can find, but without joy. So it looks as if I might have to wait a whole week to order this

But yes, it sounds brilliant.

That interview is fascinating, Pontalba.

 

[Peder]

Can I ask if you lot have given consideration to asking for a Nabokov Sub-Forum within Author Discussion as a place to collect the various Nabby threads? If you did that I might be tempted to re-read 'Glory' and kick off a discussion about it.

Obv there is a downside, i.e. it might feel a bit cliquey and put some off...

Apols if this idea has been kicked around already but it seems quicker to ask than wade through the threads...

K-S

Kenny,
Good to hear from you. It's been a long time!
No, the idea has not been kicked around at all, and no apologies needed. The BOTM discussion of Lolita is what just simply grew up into the current interest. Then the Enchanter thread was added because of its connection to Lolita (as I believe you pointed out). And now this is our first foray into something more generally Nabokov, because so many different more general thoughts were beginning to sprout, and there was no specifically Vladimir Nabokov Author thread, I was surprised to find out. So here we are, with the anticipation that discussions of separate works would be conducted as separate Fiction (or non-Fiction) threads whenever the interest was there. Otherwise just carried as general commentary under the Author thread. There was no further thought beyond that as far as I'm aware.

Specifically, a super-All-Nabokov category to collect these three and the other pre-existing Nabokov threads under one roof wasn't considered. And wasn't not considered either. It just never came up. Maybe because those other threads had always been there and people and mods seemed satisfied with that arrangement. Maybe because the mixture of Fiction, Non-Fiction and Author threads that it would collect didn't really bring it to mind. Is there any precedent for such a collection? Dunno, without looking.

And there was definitely considerable uncertainty in how much interest there might be in any other Nabokov works beyond Lolita. She always attracts a big crowd; other works, even Pale Fire, have trouble doing that; and the remainder aren't even ever heard of. So this is breaking new ground in many ways and we still really don't know what to expect or plan for.

In any event, I would be glad to read Glory and discuss it in whatever venue, existing or new, might exist for the discussion. And would be overjoyed to have you kick it off, moderate it or whatever you chose. We don't own a franchise, and speaking for myself but also for the rest of us I am sure, we are eager to create open and growing participation, not create a closed circle. Some of us have experienced closed circles, and very much prefer not.

And it gives me one more reason to visit Borders, where I already have my eye on another book.

I think that's a fair summary, and you certainly don't have to go searching through the threads. The entire discussion is all very recent.

So, your turn,
Would like to hear your reactions,
And the reactions of any mods if they are listening in,
Peder

 

[steffee]

Oops, I forgot to comment on the Nabokov sub-forum idea.

It's a splendid idea. Nuff said!

We need to recruit a few more people, start a few more threads, on Pnin, Ada, Glory, etc and then we'll be all set. How can the mods refuse then?

Just thinking out loud too... there's been discussions on other threads that maybe TBF has too many categories (horror, humour, Harry Potter etc) and that maybe they could be simplified. I dunno, would author-specific sub-forums be any easier? Would a 'Russian Authors' sub-forum, make it a bit more simple, and solve the "clique" problem?

 

[pontalba]

Um, just for general knowledge, um, um, I just visited Amazon.
Look at the Harlequins!
Invitation to a Beheading
Glory
Mary

/sigh/

Steffee, do ya suppose I could send your parents my credit card for safe keeping?

 

[steffee]

Steffee, do ya suppose I could send your parents my credit card for safe keeping?

LOL Pontalba.

You've just reminded me that I need to go back to my uni library! How could I have forgotten?!

And do you remember when Peder mentioned in his first post that nobody here had read all of Nabokov's works? I think you could possibly own them all.