Vladimir Nabokov et les difficultés de l'admiration littéraire

Abstract

Vladimir Nabokov and the problems of literary admiration This paper seeks to reflect Nabokov in the mirror that is the twentieth century by examining what distinguishes his particular reception from those accorded his contemporaries. Attempts to increase the circle of his admirers have led to a series of "re-introductions" to the reading public, in the form of articles in newspapers and the like. In these periodical presentations, the suggestion that Nabokov is "one of us" is repeatedly counterbalanced by an emphasis on his uniqueness. This apparent contradiction can pose problem for those who write about him. First, the conviction that belonging to an inner circle can tempt us to impose a certain homogeneity on our responses to him. Second, an admiring stance can too easily become a defensive one, which can in turn put off those readers still unconvinced of Nabokov's pre-eminent status. Third, this writer's desire to disrupt and subvert certain ways of reading should positively encourage a range of responses to his fiction, including negative ones. One American writer who has dealt with these difficulties is Nicholas Baker. Не admires Nabokov intensely, seeks to imitate him in a range of intriguing ways, and discusses Nabokov's work from a non-academic, non-traditional point of view which can teach professional readers a great deal.