{"id":110,"date":"2008-11-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-11-21T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orcutt.net\/weblog\/?p=110"},"modified":"2013-12-09T14:02:55","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T14:02:55","slug":"my-favorite-books-nabokovslolita","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/my-favorite-books-nabokovslolita\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Books: Nabokov\u2019s LOLITA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lolita_Cover_by_Jamie_Keenan\"<\/a>When\u00adev\u00ader I\u2019m in the mid\u00addle of reread\u00ading it, the nov\u00adel Loli\u00adta<\/em> casts such a spell on me that I often for\u00adget I have it on my per\u00adson.<\/p>\n

Giv\u00aden its sub\u00adject mat\u00adter (a pedophile pin\u00ading away for a pre-pubes\u00adcent girl), this isn\u2019t a very good idea. Giv\u00aden its sub\u00adject mat\u00adter, the book should have a plain brown paper wrap\u00adper for a cov\u00ader. How\u00adev\u00ader, like I said, the prose entrances me so much that I tend to for\u00adget I\u2019m car\u00adry\u00ading it.<\/p>\n

Like the two times I was inter\u00adview\u00ading for teach\u00ading jobs\u2014first, 12 years ago, at a high school in Freeport, Maine, then six years ago at a col\u00adlege in Man\u00adhat\u00adtan. I must be lucky because both times the first peo\u00adple to notice the book were Vladimir Nabokov fans, exclaim\u00ading what a great book Loli\u00adta<\/em> is and nod\u00adding approv\u00ading\u00adly at me, as if to say, \u201cAny\u00adbody who appre\u00adci\u00adates well-craft\u00aded sen\u00adtences by a Russ\u00adian mas\u00adter of the Eng\u00adlish lan\u00adguage, about a sick man with a (lit\u00ader\u00adal) hard-on for lit\u00adtle girls, is all right by me\u2014yes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n

(By the way, the pro\u00adnun\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion of \u201cNabokov\u201d\u2014Nuh-BO-kov or NAB-uh-kov\u2014depends on two things: 1. the super\u00adcil\u00adious\u00adness of the speak\u00ader and 2. the weath\u00ader. Adden\u00addum, 12\/9\/2013<\/strong>: The cor\u00adrect pro\u00adnun\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion of his last name is to be found in his book Strong Opin\u00adions<\/em>, in which he clear\u00adly states that it\u2019s Nuh-BOK-ov.)<\/p>\n

Yes\u00adter\u00adday after\u00adnoon, a neigh\u00adbor called to tell me that an old friend of mine, a Catholic priest, was vis\u00adit\u00ading in town and giv\u00ading the Mass that night. So I went. How\u00adev\u00ader, as I opened the church doors I noticed that my paper\u00adback copy of Loli\u00adta<\/em> was stick\u00ading out of my jack\u00adet pock\u00adet. And to make mat\u00adters worse, this edi\u00adtion has a par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly racy pic\u00adture on the cov\u00ader: a girl lick\u00ading an orange Pop\u00adsi\u00adcle. (The nov\u00adel has inspired a wide assort\u00adment of cov\u00ader art<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Lolita_Cover_by_Peter_Mendelsund\"<\/a>I was hold\u00ading it in my hands, won\u00adder\u00ading what to do with it, remark\u00ading to myself that the blonde trol\u00adlop on the cov\u00ader looked noth\u00ading<\/em> like the nymphet hero\u00adine, Miss Dolores Haze (Loli\u00adta, Lola, Lo), when I heard foot\u00adsteps com\u00ading up the walk\u00adway. Voic\u00ades were approach\u00ading from inside. There was no time. I could\u00adn\u2019t leave the nov\u00adel in my pock\u00adet with\u00adout the risk of at least the title glar\u00ading out to the world in hot pink\u2014LOLITA<\/span><\/strong>\u2014so I did the next best thing. I shoved it down my pants.<\/p>\n

An old cou\u00adple shuf\u00adfled up the stairs as I held the door open for them. \u201cWhy, thank you, young man!\u201d the woman chirped.<\/p>\n

They beamed at me, appar\u00adent\u00adly unaware that their bene\u00adfac\u00adtor was con\u00adceal\u00ading a genius but pro\u00adfane piece of lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture down his pants. You nev\u00ader know who you\u2019re deal\u00ading with. Which, iron\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly, is pret\u00adty much the sto\u00adry of Hum\u00adbert Hum\u00adbert, the sad sack pro\u00adtag\u00ado\u00adnist of Loli\u00adta<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I sat and stood and kneeled my way through the Mass, con\u00adcerned with every move\u00adment that the book would slide down my pant leg at any moment, and I was espe\u00adcial\u00adly ner\u00advous when, at the end, my priest friend greet\u00aded me at the exit. But lo<\/a> (pun intend\u00aded) and behold, the worst nev\u00ader hap\u00adpened. The object of my would-be ignominy was wedged snug\u00adly between my pubis bone and the band of my Calvin Klein box\u00ader shorts. (\u201cNoth\u00ading gets between me and my Calvins! That is, except a well-worn copy of Lo-Lee-Ta.\u201d)<\/p>\n

I emerged from the church unscathed.<\/p>\n

\"lolita.large\"<\/a>Lest you think I love this nov\u00adel sole\u00adly for the mem\u00ado\u00adrable sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtions it has put me in over the years, allow me to talk about the writ\u00ading<\/em>, because as far as I\u2019m con\u00adcerned, were it not for the genius-drip\u00adping sen\u00adtences on EVERY page, this would just be anoth\u00ader so-so, semi-smut\u00adty nov\u00adel.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve men\u00adtioned before, I keep a note\u00adbook of great writ\u00ading exam\u00adples, and my favorite lines from Loli\u00adta<\/em> take up sev\u00ader\u00adal pages. How\u00adev\u00ader, it\u2019s not the sex\u00adu\u00adal lines that fas\u00adci\u00adnate me. In fact, when you get right down to it, there\u2019s very lit\u00adtle \u201csex\u201d in Loli\u00adta<\/em> at all. (In one of the book\u2019s first reviews, the British nov\u00adel\u00adist Kings\u00adley Amis remarked, \u201cWhere\u2019s all the sex, then?\u201d)<\/p>\n

In the 53 years since its pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion, some ini\u00adtial\u00adly dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00aded read\u00aders have come to under\u00adstand that what real\u00adly makes the nov\u00adel a mas\u00adter\u00adpiece, what makes it so com\u00adpelling\u00adly orig\u00adi\u00adnal and re-read\u00adable, has very lit\u00adtle to do with sex. Yes, Nabokov does a great job of using sex\u00adu\u00adal ten\u00adsion to devel\u00adop and main\u00adtain nar\u00adra\u00adtive dri\u00adve, but it\u2019s real\u00adly the mas\u00adter\u00adful use of two oth\u00ader writ\u00ading ele\u00adments that make Loli\u00adta<\/em> so damn hyp\u00adnot\u00adic:<\/p>\n

1. Voice<\/p>\n

2. Lan\u00adguage (dic\u00adtion, sen\u00adtence vari\u00adety and imagery)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Lolita_Cover_by_Kelly_Blair\"<\/a>The fact is, whether you like the sub\u00adject mat\u00adter or not, if you have half a brain, you can\u2019t keep your\u00adself from putting down the nov\u00adel every few sen\u00adtences and shak\u00ading your head in awe. It does\u00adn\u2019t mat\u00adter what<\/em> the nar\u00adra\u00adtor, Hum\u00adbert Hum\u00adbert, is talk\u00ading about; the pre\u00adci\u00adsion, artistry and seduc\u00adtive qual\u00adi\u00adty of his sto\u00adry\u00adtelling will keep you inter\u00adest\u00aded regard\u00adless<\/em> of what\u2019s hap\u00adpen\u00ading plot-wise.<\/p>\n

Here, then, are just a few of the sen\u00adtences that have left me with my metaphor\u00adi\u00adcal tongue hang\u00ading out. The effect of any of Nabokov\u2019s best sen\u00adtences on me is not unlike wit\u00adness\u00ading a stun\u00adning woman (or man, depend\u00ading on your ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adtion) do some\u00adthing com\u00adplete\u00adly unself\u00adcon\u00adscious, like smile in the sun or hold open a door for some\u00adone. Nabokov did a lot of his writ\u00ading on note\u00adcards with a #2 pen\u00adcil, and his ele\u00adgant crafts\u00adman\u00adship shows itself in every sen\u00adtence:<\/p>\n

The dimmest of my pol\u00adlu\u00adtive dreams was a thou\u00adsand times more daz\u00adzling than all the adul\u00adtery the most vir\u00adile writer of genius or the most tal\u00adent\u00aded impo\u00adtent might imag\u00adine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Anoth\u00ader time a red-haired school girl hung over me in the metro and a rev\u00ade\u00adla\u00adtion of axil\u00adlary rus\u00adset I obtained remained in my blood for weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n

A lit\u00adtle fur\u00adther, the Haze house, a white-frame hor\u00adror, appeared, look\u00ading dingy and old, more gray than white\u2014the kind of place you know will have a rub\u00adber tube affix\u00adable to the tub faucet in lieu of a show\u00ader.<\/em><\/p>\n

Present\u00adly, the lady herself\u2014sandals, maroon slacks, yel\u00adlow silk blouse, squar\u00adish face, in that order\u2014came down the steps, her index fin\u00adger still tap\u00adping upon her cig\u00ada\u00adrette.<\/em><\/p>\n

Heat rip\u00adple still with us; a most favon\u00adian week.<\/em><\/p>\n

So I just grunt\u00aded and stretched my limbs non\u00adcon\u00adcom\u00adi\u00adnant\u00adly (le mot juste) and present\u00adly went up to my room.<\/em><\/p>\n

Her adorable pro\u00adfile, part\u00aded lips, warm hair were some three inch\u00ades from my bared eye\u00adtooth; and I felt the heat of her limbs through her rough tomboy clothes. All at once I knew I could kiss her throat or the wick of her mouth with per\u00adfect impuni\u00adty.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

For God\u2019s sake, even the man\u2019s sen\u00adtence frag\u00adments<\/em> are exquis\u00adite:<\/p>\n

\u2026with the mon\u00adkey\u00adish nim\u00adble\u00adness that was so typ\u00adi\u00adcal of that Amer\u00adi\u00adcan nymphet\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026and that first impres\u00adsion (a very nar\u00adrow human inter\u00adval between two tiger heart\u00adbeats) car\u00adried the clear impli\u00adca\u00adtion\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2026the trag\u00adic eyes of unsuc\u00adcess\u00adful blondes\u2026<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Lolita_cover_by_Justin_Chen\"<\/a>Loli\u00adta<\/em> was so suc\u00adcess\u00adful that it eclipsed all of Nabokov\u2019s oth\u00ader work, a fact that Play\u00adboy<\/em> mag\u00ada\u00adzine con\u00adfront\u00aded him with in a 1964 inter\u00adview. What\u2019s inter\u00adest\u00ading about this snip\u00adpet (tak\u00aden from the very begin\u00adning of the inter\u00adview) is the curios\u00adi\u00adty with which the author seems to have viewed his own writ\u00ading. There\u2019s a degree of dis\u00adtance and self-exam\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion here that you don\u2019t see in many oth\u00ader great writ\u00aders (as much as I love his work, Hem\u00ading\u00adway comes to mind). Not to men\u00adtion Nabokov\u2019s incred\u00adi\u00adbly thought\u00adful and elo\u00adquent answer.<\/p>\n

Play\u00adboy:<\/strong> With the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion of<\/em> Loli\u00adta in 1958, your fame and for\u00adtune mush\u00adroomed almost overnight from high repute among the lit\u00ader\u00adary cognoscenti\u2014which you bad enjoyed for more than 30 years\u2014to both acclaim and abuse as the world-renowned author of a sen\u00adsa\u00adtion\u00adal best\u00adseller. In the after\u00admath of this<\/em> cause cele\u00adbre, do you ever regret hav\u00ading writ\u00adten<\/em> Loli\u00adta?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Nabokov:<\/strong> On the con\u00adtrary, I shud\u00adder ret\u00adro\u00adspec\u00adtive\u00adly when I recall that there was a moment, in 1950, and again in 1951, when I was on the point of burn\u00ading Hum\u00adbert Hum\u00adbert\u2019s lit\u00adtle black diary. No, I shall nev\u00ader regret Loli\u00adta. She was like the com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adtion of a beau\u00adti\u00adful puzzle\u2014its com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adtion and its solu\u00adtion at the same time, since one is a mir\u00adror view of the oth\u00ader, depend\u00ading on the way you look. Of course she com\u00adplete\u00adly eclipsed my oth\u00ader works\u2014at least those I wrote in Eng\u00adlish: The Real Life of Sebas\u00adt\u00adian Knight<\/em>, Bend Sin\u00adis\u00adter<\/em>, my short sto\u00adries, my book of rec\u00adol\u00adlec\u00adtions; but I can\u00adnot grudge her this. There is a queer, ten\u00adder charm about that nymphet.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, over 50 years lat\u00ader, while the debate<\/a> about the rel\u00ada\u00adtive \u201cdis\u00adgust\u00ading\u00adness\u201d of Hum\u00adbert Hum\u00adbert\u2019s pedophil\u00adia rages on, Nabokov\u2019s son is about to release the author\u2019s final, unfin\u00adished novel\u2014a work that the mas\u00adter on his deathbed request\u00aded be burned<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The book, The Orig\u00adi\u00adnal of Lau\u00adra<\/em>, is due for pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion next year, and it\u2019s said to con\u00adtain \u201call the sex\u201d left out of Loli\u00adta<\/em>. I\u2019ll be lin\u00ading up to buy it, but not for the sex, and not for the mem\u00ado\u00adrable sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtions I might find myself in with the book. I\u2019ll be buy\u00ading it for all of the oth\u00ader stuff that moti\u00advat\u00aded me to write over 2,000 words here on one of my favorite books:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Loli\u00adta, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue tak\u00ading a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When\u00adev\u00ader I\u2019m in the mid\u00addle of reread\u00ading it, the nov\u00adel Loli\u00adta casts such a spell on me that I often for\u00adget I have it on\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-favebooks","category-writers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4708,"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110\/revisions\/4708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orcutt.net\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}