Customer Reviews

Nabokov's Butterflies: Unpublished and Uncollected Writings

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"From the age of seven, everything I felt in connection with a rectangle of framed sunlight was dominated by a single passion," wrote Valdimir Nabokov. "If my first glance of the morning was for the sun, my first thought was for the butterflies it would engender." This was certainly an unusual way in which to view the world and one that not many readers, even those who adore Nabokov, have shared.

In fact, the ferocity of Nabokov's obsession with butterflies has only just begun to become clear with the publication of this gorgeous new book, a volume of heretofore unpublished and uncorrected writings on the subject of butterflies, edited by Nabokov's biographer Brian Boyd, together with Michael Pyle, an expert on butterflies. All translations were done by Nabokov's son, Dmitri, who has lavished his time and talent on his father's work for several decades.

Even those of us who cannot get enough of Nabokov and cannot praise him highly enough may find more than 700 densely-printed pages on the subject of butterflies a little much. As much as we love Nabokov, do we really want to read page after page of his highly technical descriptions of the various species of butterfly? Are these writings really important, from a scientific viewpoint? Is there any connection between Nabokov's passion for butterflies and his extraordinary fiction?

Although most people would probably answer "no" to the first two questions, the answer to the third is a surprisingly enthusiastic, "yes."

In his wonderful introduction, Boyd begins to elucidate the connections between Nabokov the writer and Nabokov the lepidopterist. We come to understand the novelist more completely and precisely by coming to understand that science that gave this unique author "a sense of reality that should not be confused with modern (or postmodern) epistemological nihilism."

It was while dissecting and deciphering his butterflies that Nabokov came to the conclusion that the more we inquire, the more we can discover, yet the more we discover, the more we find we do not know. The world, Nabokov says, is infinitely detailed, complex and deceptive.

Nabokov's important writings on butterflies are reproduced in this volume, but thankfully, in reduced form. And other kinds of writing by Nabokov have been blended over the scientific prose, beginning with the luminous meditation on butterflies from Chapter Six of Speak, Memory.

The poems, memoirs, letters, diary entries, criticism and fiction that make up this beautiful volume cover a period from 1941 to 1947, when Nabokov was at his most obsessive...as far as butterflies are concerned. This obsessiveness, however, is gorgeous to behold, as in a letter from Nabokov to Edmund Wilson about a lecture trip he made to Sweet Briar College. "The weather...was perfectly dreadful and except for a few Everes comyntas there was nothing on the wing." It always came down to butterflies.

Nabokov's interest in butterflies went far beyond sorting out and naming them. He was much more than a mere tabulator or categorizer. There is something exquisitely metaphysical, even mystical, about his approach to butterflies, something that also tells us of his quest to plumb the depths of nature's complexity. In his obsession, Nabokov sought to understand the sense of design that underlies the the physical world, and he also took enormous delight in the mysteries God chose to hide from human beings, leaving to them to seek them out or not.

As Boyd notes, Nabokov "preferred the small type to the main text, the obscure to the obvious, the thrill of finding for himself what was not common knowledge." His scientific writings overflow with minutiae, with obscure details, lovingly searched out, sorted, underlined, displayed. This preference for the complexity of life also underscores his writings, most notably his massive commentary on Pushkin's Onegin, the gorgeous and imaginative Pale Fire and Ada, a late masterpiece in which Nabokov's penchant for complexity reached spellbinding heights.

While only a small percentage of readers may want to study the scientific articles in this book, their very presence operates in the most subtle of ways to remind us that Nabokov, who referred to himself as VN, was also a student "of that other VN, Visible Nature." In his magnificent fiction, Nabokov offered the world a complete view of the complexity and richness of the human spirit. He might not have been so meticulous and so thorough were it not for his passion for the intricate world of butterflies, so beautifully on view in this book.

Pick up this book, open it to any page and begin reading. You won't be able to put it down. From "Laughter," a poem as lovely and delicate as the azure it honors, to the detailed drawings, artistic renderings, and delightful writings, it soon becomes obvious that Nabokov saw a universe in a butterfly's wing. How fortunate we are that he left this magnificent record of his thought and activity. Begin reading anywhere and soon you will be drawn into his world, a world always colored by the butterflies and moths that were his passion. Now I have to reread his fiction with a new eye. Nabokov's passionate life and work is an inspiration to the least of us.

Last year a beautiful book became available that was apparently missed by many. Maybe it was because of length, numbering some eight hundred pages; maybe it was the unknown author, Vladimir Nabokov, whose name was unable to stir emotions in readers, prompting them to out and acquire this book; or maybe it was the title, Nabokov's Butterflies, and this accusation (not to mention the picture of butterflies on the cover) that led the reader to steer clear of this book.

Some thought the collection entailed poems and excerpts, but mostly boring and pointless stories about butterflies and their scientific aspect. People who fall into any of the above categories made a big mistake, and for the ones who never heard about the book: read further and then make a serious decision about acquiring this piece of unique literature.

Vladimir Nabokov was born in Russia and from an early age fell in love with butterflies. "If my first glance of the morning was for the sun, my first thought was for the butterflies it would engender," writes Nabokov in an excerpt from his autobiography. Also, at this age, Nabokov began writing poems and stories, and then he turned to novels about butterflies. He is also the creator of stories where butterflies are incorporated into the general fiction as a metaphor or some decide to enhance an aspect about the character or point about the plot, this making the story poignant in a never before seen way.

In the story "Pale Fire," the first of one of the stanzas in a poem is: "Another winter was scrape-scooped away." The writing is just so fresh, aching with beautiful language that stirs up emotions and renders one simply in awe with this awesome prose. Another line of wisdom from Nabokov: "Whichever subject you have chosen, you must realize that knowledge of it is limitless," from one of his lectures on writing. So this is isn't just an anthology of poems and stories about butterflies, but a collection containing the jewels of information that will benefit everyone.

In this anthology you will find a piece of everything that Nabokov did: excerpts from novels (including Lolita, his most famous piece of work), novellas, poems, notes, letters, lecture notes, diary entries, reviews, interviews, articles, even minutes from the Cambridge Entomological Club. Amongst this plethora of material, there are also pieces that have never been published before, such as excerpts from the Lolita screenplay (Stanley Kubrick's version), the second addendum to his story "The Gift," and draft notes from an unfinished novel, The Butterflies of Europe. Finally, there are many sketches and drawings of butterflies by the author, some in color, others in an array of colors, all overflowing in stark detail and beauty, revealing another unknown talent of the author.

In Brian Boyd's introduction, "Nabokov, Literature, Lepidoptera," he compares Nabokov to Beckett, calling their visions polar opposites - Beckett is polar while Nabokov is tropical - "Nabokov saw life as a `great surprise' amid great surprises."

Vladimir Nabokov's son, Dmitri, who plays a vital part in this anthology, translating Russian pieces to English that have never been translated before, writes in his diary on July 21, 1977, shortly before Nabokov died: "A few days before he died there was a moment I remember with special clarity. During the penultimate farewell, after I had kissed his still-warm forehead - as I had for years when saying goodbye - tears suddenly welled in Father's eyes. I asked him why. He replied that certain butterfly was already on the wing; and his eyes told me he no longer hoped that he would live to pursue it again."

So go out and get a hold of a copy of Nabokov's Butterflies and you will be taken to a world you did not know existed, where butterflies are your guides, poems are your walking sticks, novel excerpts your pathways, and the rest completes this rich tapestry of magnificence. You will go away as a wiser and more enlightened person with a great feeling to be owning this admirable and useful piece of literature.

Originally published on February 5th 2001 ©Alex C. Telander.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.

For over 500 book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to [...]

Yes, this book is the perfect companion to Nabokov's Blues and the stories of Lepidoptera spun in Nabokov's own Speak, Memory and Strong Opinions. You won't get the narrative read of Nabokov's scientific career as so aptly written by Johnson and Coates last year, but this is different fare-- the hard stuff-- letters, excerpts, drawings, complete works, interviews, speeches and expert commentary. Also, the book goes into all the aspects of Nabokov's work on butterflies, including the projects he did not complete. With this book and the other books of the centennial there will no further doubt about Nabokov's important contribution to science and the fact that, even minus literature, he could have made quite a name for himself in that field alone.

"Cornucopia" (about this book from Booklist)is indeed the word for this important and extremely enjoyable book. As one close to the book's germination and content I want to let Amazon readers know a bit about what's inside. Overall, by publishing all the previously published and unpublished works by V. Nabokov concerning butterflies, both literary and scientific (I say "works" because it includes both writings and drawings) the book includes not only all the background material to the other science-related books from Nabokov's centenary year (Vera's Butterflies; Nabokov's Blues) but a mountain of unique material and comment as well. The introductions, by biographer Boyd and lepidopterist Pyle, form a good balance-- Boyd's excelling from his in-depth knowledge of Nabokov's life and literature and Pyle's reflecting copious digging into remembrances and memorabilia of lepidopterists whose relationship with, or "take" on, Nabokov had simply never been recorded. The literary, letter, and interview selections give the reader about as much material (at least regarding the influence of science and butterflies on Nabokov's literature) as would owning Nabokov's Selected Letters, short stories, much of his autobiography Speak, Memory and his memoir Strong Opinions. The wonderful color and BxW illustrations include not only ample supply from Nabokov's scientific publications and archives, but from the drawings previously featured in 1999 by Sarah Funke's Vera's Butterflies (which is not as easy to obtain). Moreover, there is an additional value in the books' material have been presented chronologically. This aids the reader in not only seeing Nabokov's connection to and literary utilization of Lepidoptera grow and mature, but makes the book easy to navigate for the browser. Readers whose love of Nabokov is anchored in his vivid imagery and sense of detail will find the new notes, letters, and snipits herein full of these same qualities. Indeed, one may find a short note from one of Nabokov's famous "index cards" and dearly wish it had been developed and completed somewhere by the master himself. As the editors note, Nabokov had often wished to see a compendium on his scientific work, thought, and metaphor finally published. The present one is not only complete but timely because it occurs at a time when Nabokov's significant achievements in science have finally gained the recognition they so long deserved.

12 Exotic Brazilian Butterflies In a high Quality Frame 12.5" x 8.5" (Current bid: $65.00) * 12 Exotic Brazilian Butterflies In a high Quality Frame 12.5" x 8.5" (Current bid: $65.00)

I sincerely hope that these other items you recommend to potential buyers of this book, are NOT butterflies that were caught in Brazil and shipped to the USA, nor ideally even butterflies breed in the US especially for the purpose of later gracing someone's wall. Not very environmentally sound at all if the former, and karmically, still just as bad if the latter. I do not think that the editors of Nabakov's Butterflies would support this at all, even if they are all avid butterfly enthusiasts. Leave the butterflies in peace!

------------------------------------------------------------------------