Dmitiri Nakokov is in somewhat of a bind, a true moral dilemna. Should he abide by the deathbed wishes of his father, the author Vladimir, and burn the first draft of his last and unpublished novel? Or, should he disregard those wishes and save the novel-perhaps even publish it?
If Dmitri decides to burn the novel, I will certainly support him. By the same token, I support him should he decide not to, whether he publishes the novel or keeps it in a locked vault, or donates it to a collection of various author’s work, or whatever he might decide.
His problem is, he seems to want to save the work, but can’t seem to think of a valid reason to disregard the late elder Nabokov’s wishes.
Well, suppose Vladimir left Dmitri instructions to take his only tangible material possessions-let’s say it was a million dollars worth of diamonds-and dump them to the bottom of the Caribbean. Or, what if Vladimir left a large house, and instructed a homeless and destitute Dmitiri that he should use the entirety of the money left his father to have the house dismantled, or razed, or burned to the ground, or imploded.
Unless these instructions were codified in a legal will, could anyone fault Dmitri for refusing to destroy or otherwise disregard what is, after all, his own legal birthright and inheritance?
I do not assume, of course, that Dmitri Nabokov is destitute and homeless, but that is really beside the point. This novel, left in the care of Dmitri, is as much his birthright, his inheritance, as any other tangible asset that may have been left behind by the elder Nabokov.
Dmitri has, in my opinion, the right and the prerogative to dispose of it as he will-or not.
2 comments:
If Nabokov wanted the manuscript destroyed, why didn't he do it himself ?
Dimitri should publish it. If he doesn't, we will never know WHY Nabokov made such a strange request.
Maybe the novel was just bad. Or maybe it was more shocking and disturbing than Lolita. One way or another, I want to know, and my curiosity is more important than Nabokov's last wish.
I think the novel was more or less in first draft stage, and in it's present and final state didn't live up to Nabokov's exacting standards of excellence.
This is just a guess, but I'm thinking he probably intended to finish the novel "Laura" I think he called it, and then fell so ill, that by the time he realized he was dying, he was incapable of completing it. It might have happened so fast he was just too weak and debilitated to think clearly, or to act on his decidsions.
Nabokov was a master chess afficianado (hence the reason I titled my post the way I did), and it is even possible he might have been playing a little game with Dmitri. Kind of a strategic gambit to make Dmitri think of what was important, make a decision, stand strong and follow through, and live with the consequences, whatever it might be.
I am almost certain that was a part of it, in fact. Dmitri should do what he feels is the right and proper thing for him to do. I would not fault him whatever he decided. I would hope personally he preserves the novel, however. Once it is destroyed, that is the end, it's gone forever. If he preserves it, then it remains a part of the Nabokov legacy-a work eternally in progress.
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