An Interview With Vladimir Nabokov
Bourré:
Mr. Nabokov, what do you think of recent interpretations of Lolita that focus more on the emotional relationship between Humbert and Dolores, as opposed to the linguistic play that saturates the novel?
Nabokov:
. . .
B:
Is it possible that your work anticipates the centrality of language in contemporary literary theory? What about the emergence of the sociolect as the impetus for literature—were these ideas (or variations of them) floating in the back of your mind when writing Lolita?
N:
. . .
B:
Semiotic criticism is based (or, rather, was initially based) on principles of scientific objectivity (and for the moment let's ignore th fact that objectivity is technically impossible, and is rather a goal of scientific exploration, as opposed to a fact of it). Do you see a contradiction in the fact that a seemingly "objective" field is used to celebrate subjectivity, often to the point where it becomes impossible to speak about concepts like quality and value?
N:
. . .
B:
Are there such things as "quality" and "value"? Are some things actually better than others?
N:
. . .
B:
Can subjectivity obscure as much as it illuminates?
N:
. . .
B:
You deliberately explored a cultural taboo in Lolita, but taboos are not only social—sometimes there is a biological impetus behind them (for example incest is a taboo very likely in order to preserve the integrity of the gene pool); where do you suppose the taboo of the age barrier originates?
N:
. . .
B:
There are linguistic taboos as well as social ones, but many of these are intended to facilitate communication. In some passages of Lolita, you violate some of those taboos as well. Do you think, then, that your novel may fail to communicate on some levels? Does that matter?
N:
. . .
B:
I'm a designer by trade, and I was wondering if the physical incarnation of your books are particularly important for you (I know Joyce was obsessive about they typography in the various editions of Ulysses, and George Elliott Clarke is also concerned with his books as artifacts in the world)?
N:
. . .
B:
Lastly, could you comment on why Lolita seems to be so popular with young women?
N:
. . .
by: August C. Bourré
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