Comments on: Nabokov’s Gonna Knock You Out, Son

By: Tanya

Tanya — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:34:36 +0000

I’m reading Pnin right now, actually!

His stories/novellas are good. Invitation to a Beheading.

I have mixed feelings. I, also, will jump on the new publication. But I think his wishes should have have been respected.

By: dan mcenroe

dan mcenroe — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:31:59 +0000

Have you ever seen scans/replicas of any of Nabokov’s index cards? The New York Public Library had them on display a few years ago – remarkably clean, precise handwriting, very few corrections, almost no “scribbling” in the margins. Dammit, the guy even excelled at index cards!

By: German

German — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:49:57 +0000

Red Scharlach, if you listen to the audio clip in the NPR article, you will hear Dmitri go into details of how the whole thing will be published.

By: Ben Morris

Ben Morris — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:01:57 +0000

In the last several months Slate has had a series of articles concerning The Original of Laura: 1 2 3. The author of the articles exchanged some interesting emails with Dmitri Nabokov (Vladimir Nabokov's son).

By: Red Scharlach

Red Scharlach — Sat, 03 May 2008 01:11:49 +0000

Has that been confirmed? That sounds acceptable. An archival artefact sounds more in line with some of Nabokov’s crazier experiments anyway (like Pale Fire and his translation of Eugene Onegin).

As to the last wishes matter, honestly, it’s been a really long time and I’d be a hypocrite to say I’m not interested in reading this, so I suppose that means that I don’t consider them that important in the end.

This just teaches us we better burn everything we own when we die, preferably in a Viking funeral pyre!

By: German

German — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:39:49 +0000

Alfonso is actually halfway right. They will be releasing the whole thing as individual cards along with some sort of booklet with introductions and such. Some of the cards will be replicas of the originals with scribbles and all, so in theory, you will be able to re-arrange them on your fridge if you really want to do that. :)

By: Tequila

Tequila — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:41:39 +0000

Well the question has already been answered since publication is gonna happen but boy is it a bad idea. Unfinished works while great for fans never leave a good taste in the long run. I’d be kinda pissed if my dying wish went ignored but who knows why he never did it himself…not really the issue though. If an editor can honestly look at this manuscript and see something worth publishing then great…but I’m more prone to think this is a financial choice not an artistic one.

I like Alfonso’s idea provided it’s released as just that…for archival purposes then it doesn’t have to suffer the weight of being an actual novel.

By: Zoetica

Zoetica — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:27:02 +0000

Alfonso, I think you’ve definitely got a great idea there. Perhaps you should volunteer your services?

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:37:44 +0000

Thanks for the heads up on this. I too am conflicted about the matter, but of course I’ll read it. Nabokov is decidedly my favorite author. Lolita and Invitation to a Beheading are so amazing.

By: Irene Kaoru

Irene Kaoru — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:26:29 +0000

I love VN and I’m a bit pissed about this, but then of course I will read it. I hope they at least have the decency not to fuck around with it too much, if they must publish it against the wishes of the dead. I wonder…..if he wanted it burnt so badly I wonder why he didn’t take care of that detail while he lived.