Fw: Pale Fire and D.F.Wallace's novel (fwd)

[Dr Barry Westburg]

Pynchonians: FYI. From the Nabokov List.

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> Date: Monday, 31 March 1997 08:05:16 
> From: Donald Barton Johnson
> To: NABOKV-L at UCSBVM.UCSB.EDU
> Subject: Pale Fire and D.F.Wallace's novel (fwd)
> 
> From: Vladimir Mylnikov <mylnikov at public.hh.nm.cn>
> 
>         Mentioning the name of David Forster Wallace and his novel
'Infinite =
> Jest' highly provoked my interest of this kind; I wonder is there any =
> connection between  structure, themes and subject of the mentioned =
> novel, being composed as text with end-notes or (apparently written by =
> the author himself) and the title of the texts of such type. Personally =
> I think that there is.=09
>          Although the title of Nabokov's Pale Fire does not deal directly
to =
> this sort of connection, however, major themes and ideas of the novel =
> definitely apply to the thought of Infinity in its various aspects. I =
> suggest that one of the meaning of the main subject of Pale Fire - =
> Zembla - comprises the idea of Alphabet (the first and the last letters =
> of the word - Z and A in backward reading). Then the poem ' Pale Fire' =
> is also closely related to the idea of infinity: the last verse should =
> be rhymed with the first one (the same structural model as in Zembla). =
> Furthermore, I suggest that the title Pale Fire ( in terms of its =
> semantic aspect is perfectly connected with the poetic construction of =
> the novel - relationship between text and its commentary - what is =
> written and how it is should be read. In other words, Pale and Fire, as =
> two thematic subjects, are put in the accordance with the relationship =
> between Shade and Kinbote, Light and Warmth (Pale Fire), Poem and =
> Commentary.
>         I am aware that probably some points of my suggestions sound
unfounded
> =
> but if someone is interested in the subject I think I can prove them.   =
> Finally, I want to mention one more author in this context. It is Dmitry =
> Galkovsky. His novel  'Infinite Cul de Sac'  published in the early =
> 90th, was also written in the form of the end-notes. To a certain extent =
> he made his book be read in the most radical way: the major text is =
> presented only in the form of the notes (commentary) and the basic story =
> does not exist at all, or in other words , it is only exist in the =
> readers head. So, the situation, named ' what to read and how to read is =
> turned to its opposite. Again, I'd like to put a question: is it a pure =
> coincidence that the theme of Infinity closely related to the texts =
> written in the form of the commentary or notes? I will appreciate any =
> ideas. To me the title of D.F.Wallace's novel 'Infinite Jest and =
> D.Galkovsky's 'Infinite Cul de Sac ' amusingly correspond to the =
> Nabokov's witty remark that 'the difference between comic and cosmic is =
> based on one hushing sound'.(Sorry for probable incorrect quotation - =
> the text is unavailable).
>         Thanks,
> Vladimir Mylnikov. China.
>