great minds think alike

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hello all.  i'm still around, just lurking for the past several months.  i ran
across a quote from nabokov that i think might express some kinship with
salinger's feelings for his work.  in making this connection i'm thinking of
the preface to S:AI (i think) with the dedication to "anyone who reads and
runs."

this quote is from nabokov's own introduction to the 1965 english edition of
his novel, _Despair_.

"_Despair_, in kinship with the rest of my books, has no social comment to
make, no message to bring in its teeth.  It does not uplift the spiritual
organ of man, nor does it show humanity the right exit.  It contains far fewer
'ideas' than do those rich vulgar novels that are acclaimed so hysterically in
the short echo-walk between the ballyhoo and the hoot.  The attractively
shaped object or Wiener-schnitzel dream that the eager Freudian may think he
distinguishes in the remoteness of my wastes will turn out to be on closer
inspection a derisive mirage organized by my agents.  Let me add, just in
case, that experts on literary 'schools' should wisely refrain this time from
casually dragging in 'the influence of German Impressionists': I do not know
German and have never read the Impressionists--whoever they are."

i'm not suggesting that salinger was influenced by nabokov (though he may have
been, the first english translation of Despair came out in 1937.  i don't know
about his other works.).  i'm just pointing out what i consider an interesting
coincidence of great literary minds thinking alike.

--matt

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