Pynchon/Nabokov

[Cary Henson]

Ron,
Nabokov, while beginning his literary in exile 
in Germany, utilized the nomme de plume of Vladimir Sirin.
"Sirin" is the Russian word for "siren" and refers to a type of bird;
it was also the name of an important publishing house, particularly
for RUssian Symbolists.
I would like to echo your request for any thoughts and/or references
people have regarding the relationships between the two figures.

I am currently toying with idea of including TLP on my dissertation,
which addresses the relationship between memory, nonlinear narrative,
and the creation of fictional worlds--I am writing on Robbe-Grillet,
Nabokov, and possibly Pynchon, but have not decided.
It might be nice to know what some of you think, given
that my knowledge of RG and VN is much greater than that regarding TLP.
Thanks in advance--hope this spawns a good thread.
Thanks, Ron.

Cary

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>>I've been wondering about the connection between Pynchon and Nabokov. Not
>>just the personal connection, but the similarity of themes that run through
>>many of both authors' works. Just starting in on my re-reading of _GR_ and I
>>hit the following passage (pg. 12, Penguin Books paperback ed.):
>>"Accompanying will be a phantasmagoria, a real one, rushing toward the
>>screen, in over the heads of the audiences, on little tracks of an elegant
>>Victorian cross section resembling the profile of a chess knight conceived
>>fancifully but not vulgarly so..."
>>Nabokov's _The Real Life of Sebastian Knight_ immediately sprang to mind, as
>>well as many other chess metaphors in that author's books. I remember reading
>>somewhere that many of Nabokov's early works were written under a pseudonym
>>which I can't recall off the top of my head, but the first name was simply
>>the initial V. (perhaps V. Sirnin? I don't have the reference handy). Knowing
>>about Pynchon and Nabokov's student/teacher connection, I couldn't help but
>>jump to the obvious conclusion. 
>>Can anyone suggest further reading on the two, or perhaps interject more
>>thoughts concerning their connection and/or thematic similarities?
>>
>>Ron Dulin
>>
>>
>
Cary Henson
Dept. of Comparative Literature
Indiana University
cphenson at indiana.edu