30133 - Theory of Literature (LM)

Course contents

VLADIMIR NABOKOV, THE ENCHANTER

The course concerns one of the major Twentieth Century writers, mainly know for the "scandal" of Lolita but author of a wide and very complex work, not yet read and sufficiently analyzed, at least in Italy. George Steiner defined Nabokov an "extraterritoral" writer, marked by the experience of exile and artistic bilinguism (he wrote first in russian, then in english), who can't be situated in a specific literary movement. The course will deal most of all with the "american phase" of his work: three major novels and some short stories will be closely analyzed, rising at the same time some theorical questions that marked the developement of Twentieth Century literature: the relationship between art and life, the unreliable narrator, the subjectivity of perception, intertextuality, parody, etc.

Period: Second semester (february-march 2010)

Timetable of lessons, classrooms etc: See Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature website

 

Readings/Bibliography

I. Texts

• Vladimir Nabokov, La vera vita di Sebastian Knight, Adelphi
• Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita, Adelphi (inclusa la postfazione, A proposito di un libro intitolato "Lolita", alle pp. 385-395)
• Vladimir Nabokov, Fuoco pallido, Adelphi
• Vladimir Nabokov, Mademoiselle O, in Una bellezza russa e altri racconti, Adelphi, pp. 511-528
• Vladimir Nabokov, Ultima Thule, in Una bellezza russa…, cit., pp. 537-566
• Vladimir Nabokov, Solus Rex, in Una bellezza russa…, cit., pp. 567-596
• Vladimir Nabokov, Primo amore, in Una bellezza russa…, cit., pp. 673-682

II. Critical texts

• Vladimir Nabokov, Interviste all'autore contenute nel volume Intransigenze, Adelphi (in particolare le interviste numero 2, 3, 6 e 7, alle pp. 25-66 e 85-136)
• Andrea Carosso, Invito alla lettura di Nabokov, Mursia
• Un saggio a scelta tra i seguenti, contenuti nella rivista "Riga", n. 16, 1999, numero dedicato a Vladimir Nabokov, a cura di M. Sebregondi e E. Porfiri, Marcos y Marcos:
• Stefano Bartezzaghi, La lingua che cammina. Sommario nabokoviano, pp. 221-228
• Marco Belpoliti, Cinque pezzi facili, pp. 229-243
• George Steiner, Extraterritoriale, pp. 136-141

Teaching methods

Class lessons

Assessment methods

At the end of the course the students will take an oral examination, with questions on topics and texts analyzed.

Teaching tools

Slides, Power point. For further teaching material see the website.

Links to further information

http://www.unibo.it/SitoWebDocente/default.htm?UPN=federico.bertoni@unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Federico Bertoni