Pale Fire

[Vincent A. Maeder]

From: Otto>>
As far as I remember it's been Keith's idea and I think it's a good idea
for
a mailing list to discuss a novel by an important author like Nabokov
who
has influenced Thomas Pynchon instead of merely discussing possible
political connections of Pynchon's texts. I really wonder why those who
had
read "PF" before (some even twice) never have mentioned it's importance
for
Pynchon's literature; GR wouldn't be the same novel as we know it
without
Thomas having read "PF" as a key text for the development of American
postmodernism and the genre in general.

(...) Because Pynchon uses techniques outlined in Nabokov's courses
(...)
According to Andrew Field's VN: The Life and Art of Vladimir Nabokov
(1986):
"The core of the serious Nabokov cult on the campus consisted of . . .
Richard Fariña . . . and Thomas Pynchon, though evidently there was no
personal acquaintance between Pynchon and Nabokov."
http://www.vheissu.org/art/art_eng_SL_hollander.htm

Frank Kermode called "Pale Fire" "one of the most complex novels ever
written." True, but John Barth's comment seems closer to the experience
of
the novel: ""Pale Fire" is a joy."
(Brian Boyd: "Nabokov's Pale Fire. The Magic of Artictic Discovery,"
Princeton, New Jersey, 1999, p. 5)<<

Keep the great resources and comments coming Otto!

V.