Category Archives: LITERATURE

LITERATURE: Afternoon, A Story – Finale

Believe I may have finished Afternoon, A Story, the hypertext by Michael Joyce.  I say "may have" because in truth I do not know.  Every now and then a new line comes up, and I follow it until it circles … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Afternoon, A Story – Finale

LITERATURE: Reading

Not much I can add to Dan Green’s post on The Reading Experience:  In his insistence that "the true enemies of the novel [are] plot, character, setting and theme," John Hawkes was proposing that fiction also might exhibit such a … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Reading

LITERATURE: The Meanings of Literature
…and Nabokov on Lolita

Rarely do you get the author’s thoughts on his novel included within the book, and having read this addition, I am struck by Nabokov’s matter-of-fact attitude in the controversy of both subject matter and meaning. There are gentle souls who … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: The Meanings of Literature
…and Nabokov on Lolita

LITERATURE: Lolita – Finale

It is satisfying to read a novel and follow the story, live with the character for the length of the book and feel that to a certain degree, you understand something about him, in this case, Humbert Humbert.  There are … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Finale

LITERATURE: Book Sale!

After planning for a month to go, I almost forgot the Canton Library Book Sale, and luckily noticed the sign on my way from the grocery store.  Raced home, got my book list, and with 45 minutes till closing time, … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Book Sale!

LITERATURE: Lolita – Hidden Within Words

Nabokov has Humbert struggling with his conscience in a way consistent with his personality which is that of sardonic acceptance.  His description to the reader of his days spent with Lolita runs the gamut of self-justification to disgust, and his … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | 3 Comments

LITERATURE & WRITING: Publishing

With so many weblogs and websites devoted to writers and legions of hopeful writers clicking out stories on their keyboards the market is being flooded with bad writing as much as good.  It’s a sword that cuts both ways.  While … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE, WRITING | 1 Comment

LITERATURE: Lolita – Metaphor

It almost seems sacrilegious to have Nabokov’s language come out of Humbert Humbert.  A visit to a plausible cove on the Atlantic side was completely messed up by foul weather.  A thick damp sky, muddy waves, a sense of boundless … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Metaphor

LITERATURE: Lolita – Hypersexual, Hypertextual

A quickie– We find that indeed, Lolita has been deflowered prior to Humbert’s groping, and she in fact is the one who, after a painfully frustrating night for Humbert, seduces him. But onto hypertextual:  This novel with its high-falutin’ words … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | 1 Comment

LITERATURE: Lolita – Morality & Character

This book is not comfortable reading and I’m trying to decide whether it’s the topic or if it’s the skill with which it involves the reader into this topic. The idea of a forty-plus year-old man lusting after a twelve … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Morality & Character

LITERATURE: S/Z – Whew!

Little by precious little I’m working through Barthes’ S/Z, but I still need to go back a few pages, consult some notes I’ve made to understand the code system he’s working with, and it’s very slow going. Barthes breaks down … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: S/Z – Whew!

LITERATURE: Lolita – Literature And God

Strange thoughts tonight about reading the enduring novels, the best loved, the most progressive, the products of writers who excelled in language use and the audacity to write an oft-told tale in a new way to find a path that … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Literature And God

LITERATURE: Lolita – Metaphor

Since I haven’t quite had the head to put into Barthes’ S/Z, I only have scanned the codes he outlines but in reading Nabokov’s Lolita, I’m wondering if these little things I’m picking out are part of the readerly theory. … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Metaphor

LITERATURE: Lolita – Character

Nabokov gives us a Humbert that we’re never quite sure of, and Humbert himself seems to straddle the fence as to who or what he is.  Egotistical, blunt, intelligent, and focused, yes; but he seems unsure of whether to apply … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Character

LITERATURE: Lolita – Layers of Narrative

Humbert has just met Lolita, and while we can tell that his plan was to seduce a young girl where he thought he’d be staying–all he knew was that she was twelve years old–the plans have changed due to a … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Lolita – Layers of Narrative