authors under the influence

[Paul Mackin]

On Oct 23, 2006, at 2:03 PM, Heikki Raudaskoski wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, 23 Oct 2006, Paul Mackin wrote:
>> Nabokov
>> has a funny remark to make about this. A little sexist but to my way
>> of thinking largely true.
>
> You mean the following lines in "Ada"?:
>
> "Our professor of French literature maintains that there is a grave
> philosophical, and hence artistic, flaw in the entire treatment of the
> Marcel and Albertine affair. It makes sense if the reader knows that
> the narrator is a pansy, and that the good fat cheeks of Albertine are
> the good fat buttocks of Albert. It makes none if the reader cannot be
> supposed, and should not be required, to know *anything* about this or
> any other author's sexual habits in order to enjoy to the last drop a
> work of art." Penguin 1988, p. 135.


Yes that was certainly part of it but somewhere (can't remember where  
I read this) N is said to have remarked that "Marcel's" all consuming  
jealousy over the female lovers he suspects Albertine  of having is  
quite unbelievable. He felt that most males if anything would be  
turned on by the thought that the woman they were having sex with   
enjoyed having sex with women. I believe N went so far as to say men   
might find such a thing  endearing and even funny.

What is REALLY odd  is that "Marcel" seems on one occasion to go a  
step beyond Nabokov on this topic. He finds  himself attracted to a  
woman Albertine had once been intimate  with,  and partly for that  
reason. The other part of his motivation is to try to garner further  
information about Abertine's various carrying on's. Something to  
brood further upon.

It's quite a novel.



>
> FWIW (for Nabokov it's worth nothing, and I'm inclined to agree with
> him) the Al in real life on whom Proust largely based the Albertine
> character was one Alfred.

Yes, Alfred Agnostinelli whom he hired to help him in various ways  
including as chauffeur. Proust paid for Alfred's flying lessons and  
felt himself to blame when Alfred was killed during his training.


>
>
> Heikki
>