Russian connection

Paul Janse (PJanse@compuserve.com)
Thu, 08 Oct 1998 05:36:09 -0400

Camille,

Yes, it is nice to be able to read Nabokov in the original, though not
exactly easy.
As for the Tolstoy mentions: Buddy writes to Zooey about the possibility 
of
starring some time in a film of "War and Peace", with "old Tolstoy lovers

like Zsa Zsa Gabor" visiting the opening night. Later there is a citation

of Anna Karenina on the door of Seymour's room. And, of course, how could

someone of good taste read Tolstoy and NOT love him?

Matthew,

How exactly do S's stories fly in the face of Chekhov's principles? What 
is
"Hapworth" anyway? It seems to me that many stories of Chekhov fly in the

face of his own principles.
Salinger a literary revolutionary? What I think an at least very
exceptional aspect of some of his writings, is the refusal to show us wha
t
goes on INSIDE the heroes. This is not true for "The cathcher..." of
course, but we know hardly anything about Franny's, Zooey's, Seymour's (i
n
Bananafish), Sergeant X's feelings. We get very detailed descriptions of
what goes on on the surface and we can draw our own conclusions about the

inside. Salinger's approach is anti-psychological, I think. See also
Teddy's opinions on poetry, that there are too many emotions in modern
Western poetry.
In this respect he has few followers, I think. There is a very remarkable

Dutch book which has the same "outside" approach, "Bij Nader Inzien" by
J.J. Voskuil, whose work has not been translated into English yet, as far

as I know.

Regards,

Paul