Alle grappies op ’n stokkie: Nabokov se Laura as tekstuele grap

Abstract

The posthumous novel of the famous novelist Vladimir Nabokov, The Original of Laura: A Novel in Fragments (2009), was widely criticised in both the British and American press. This article assesses the author’s interest in chess and key aspects of a few texts. It is argued that Nabokov’s use of humour, riddles and word play could be used to analyse the posthumous text. The well-known Cornell lectures are read and it is concluded that the novel reflects certain aspects of Nabokov’s oeuvre. The novel as a joke (with the reader as an accomplice) is analysed via Freud and Jerry Aline Flieger’s notions on humour.

Opsomming

The Original of Laura: A Novel in Fragments (2009), nagelate roman van die gesiene romanskrywer Vladimir Nabokov, het ’n besonder negatiewe resepsie beleef in sowel die Britse as Amerikaanse kritiek. In hierdie artikel word die skrywer se belangstelling in skaak en die kernaspekte van enkele tekste betrek. Daar word geargumenteer dat Nabokov se kenmerkende gebruik van humor, raaisels en woordspel op hierdie nagelate teks van toepassing gemaak kan word. Die bekende Cornell-lesings word betrek en daar word bevind dat die roman aspekte van Nabokov se oeuvre belig. Die roman as ’n grap waarin die leser ’n medepligtige word, word via Freud en Jerry Aline Flieger geanaliseer.