Comments on: Users of Covers and Cozies, Ready-Made Souls in Platic Bags, Negligible Generalities

Users of Covers and Cozies, Ready-Made Souls in Platic Bags, Negligible Generalities

mattbucher — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:03:07 -0800

Vladimir Nabokov discusses Lolita with Lionel Trilling.

The moderator is Pierre Berton of the CBC.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:10:14 -0800

So rare to see such delightful, stimulating conversation. On television, no less!

By: nonmerci

nonmerci — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:24:33 -0800

This is awesome, thank you!

By: Jody Tresidder

Jody Tresidder — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:25:20 -0800

Really loving it so far - Trilling is spot on when he says during the first part not to trust what authors say about their own intentions - and Nabokov just keeps grinning his little grin...and dolling out his teasing answers about his intentions! Thanks.

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:33:01 -0800

The guy who works in the CBC archive must be the happiest man in all the Dominion. Bastard. Thanks!

By: digaman

digaman — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:55:29 -0800

Oh my God, I've never seen Nabokov "live" before, much less Trilling, who I've been curious about for years. Nabokov is more Nabokovian that I could have imagined. Thank you!

By: digaman

digaman — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:55:47 -0800

*than

By: languagehat

languagehat — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:13:12 -0800

Wonderful! "I don't want to touch hearts and I don't really want to affect minds that much... I leave that sort of thing to Doctor Schweitzer and Doctor Zhivago"—love that guy! Anyone interested in Trilling's view of the book (typically sensible, humane, and clueless about what makes Nabokov a great writer, at least in his own and my eyes) should read his review "The Last Lover" (1958, originally in The Griffin and republished that same year in Encounter, now available in the collection The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligent); a snippet: "[Humbert] is the less attractive by reason of the style in which he chiefly writes about himself—whoever has tried to keep a journal and has been abashed at reading it by the apologetic, self-referring, self-exculpating whine of the prose, and by the very irony which is used to modify this deplorable tone, will recognize the manner of most of Lolita."

By: ClanvidHorse

ClanvidHorse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:44:37 -0800

Fantastic post! Thanks!

By: Mocata

Mocata — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:44:33 -0800

Best post for many weeks. All hail mattbucher.

By: Mocata

Mocata — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:45:04 -0800

(And I don't even like Nabokov as much as some people do.)

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:53:44 -0800

That was exceptionally bizarre TV (leaving aside how great the content is). What was with that giant candelabra in the middle of the shot? And why did they suddenly all move to the couch? I love it.

By: nanojath

nanojath — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:57:59 -0800

Well, it appears I've been pronouncing "Nabokov" wrong for about twenty years. I can't believe nobody said anything.

By: eponymouse

eponymouse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:18:04 -0800

This is good stuff. Another thanks from over here!

By: feloniousmonk

feloniousmonk — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:22:35 -0800

nanojath, same here. this is probably the first time i've seen him interviewed like this before, though, but you'd think somewhere between elementary school and now, someone would've known that this is the correct pronunciation and told me.

By: Substrata

Substrata — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:43:06 -0800

languagehat wrote thus: Wonderful! "I don't want to touch hearts and I don't really want to affect minds that much... I leave that sort of thing to Doctor Schweitzer and Doctor Zhivago"—love that guy! ditto! great find, thank you.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:30:16 -0800

Mispronouncing the author's name? Blame Sting.

By: IndigoJones

IndigoJones — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:34:36 -0800

what makes Nabokov a great writer, at least in his own and my eyes Myself, I've always been a bit of an admiring skeptic, and as such would be interested if you would expound briefly.

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:26:22 -0800

[this is my favorite MeFi post ever] It is a monument, somewhere in the garden, in the shade. Beautiful. Thank you.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:09:44 -0800

The "rather dummy-like vronsky" bows before this post.

By: digaman

digaman — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:58:20 -0800

48 favorites. Nice.

By: Ynoxas

Ynoxas — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:37:23 -0800

Wow. This really is something.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:32:29 -0800

Myself, I've always been a bit of an admiring skeptic, and as such would be interested if you would expound briefly. As it happens, I just made a post at LH that may help with this.

By: IndigoJones

IndigoJones — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:22:20 -0800

Well, okay, and thanks. (Never had a beef with Pushkin, quite the opposite - Russianless though I am. It's on the schedule for retirement.) Given the way mefi goes, I expect this will come up again. By the way, never thanked mattbucher for the post which was forwarded widely and as widely appreciated. Thanks, mattbucher.