The Cosmic Extension of Fin: Aesthetics of Perceptual, Reflexive and Sensual Temporality in Nabokov’s Ada

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author aims to situate Nabokov’s Ada within the context of the fin-de-siècle and intends to show that the protagonist’s treatise on time “simultaneously aligns with and subverts” (l. 13) decadent ideals.

Situating Ada in the context of the fin-de-siècle is certainly an interesting and refreshing take on Nabokov’s novel, and it makes sense to associate – as the author does – some of Nabokov’s characters (like Humbert Humbert in Lolita or Sebastan Knight) with the movement.

Nevertheless, the article has numerous and considerable weak points.

1. The author’s aligning Henri Bergson with the movement seems to me more than problematic: Bergson is modernist while fin-de-siècle decadence is decidedly anti-modernist (cf. Pater’s obsession with the Renaissance, Adam’s “Medievalism” etc), and equally modernist is the rejection of chronology (cf. Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, William Faulkner etc).
2. Equally problematic and insufficient is the author’s dealing with Van’s The Texture of Time which doesn’t even address Van’s devout (and hence distorted) Bergsonianism which makes The Texture partly nonsensical (see Will Norman); Barrows speaks of a “burlesque parody of Bergsonian consciousness.” The author fails to read Van’s elaborations and Van’s reading of Bergson critically.
3. Equally problematic is the author’s identification of Van with Nabokov (for example l. 275). Van isn’t Nabokov; Nabokov might have made Van share some of his own ideas, however, he also distances himself from his character. Van’s attitudes and opinions are NOT Nabokov’s.
4. Another severe problem arises from a simplistic dealing with Van’s treatise. “Cyclical” is NOT “spiral” (to take one example), Nabokov has been very clear on this in Speak, Memory.
5. The author doesn’t seem to recognize intertextual references; to speak of a lover’s body in terms of topography and geography is not specific to Ada: John Donne has made use of it!
6. More than often references / sources are missing! Lines 126/127, line 188 (which “other scholars”???), line 233; lines 310 – 326: references are missing; the author’s claims need endorsement! Lines 366 – 377: claims are made, but no sources are mentioned! Line 435: author refers to “circularity” – where in Ada?? Line 447: missing reference, line 451: where does the author take the term ludus from? Lines 571 / 572: “decadence fascination” – where are the sources?
7. The author refers several times to page numbers which simply DON’T EXIST in the 1990 Vintage edition of the novel!

 

 

The author is strongly advised to thoroughly consult some of the key scholars dealing with the fin-de-siècle, such as Rita Felski, Charles Bernheimer, Dennis Denisoff.

 

The author is strongly advised to thoroughly consult the works of the key scholars dealing with time in Ada, such as Brian Boyd, Will Norman, Nathalia Saliba Días

 

Author Response

please find replies in the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I would like to thank the author for submitting this MS and outlining and tracing the complex ways Nabokov is engaging and interacting with elements of fin-de-siecle literature and aesthetics of decadence. Particularly impressive is the range of ideas and observations woven into this article. I present the comments and reactions below as constructive feedback that I hope will help strengthen/refine the MS.

 

General Comments

Strengths

• This article is beautifully written—presents sophisticated discussions without resulting to unnecessary academic jargon or unreasonably convoluted sentence structures. Well done.
• Truly helpful abstract
• Clearly articulated interpretive focus (yet, see first weakness below)
• Nice job situating the article within Nabokov scholarship generally and within the focus of the special issue on the extension of fin de siècle literary traits and the uses/misuses of the aesthetics of decadence.
• Great discussion of examples of scholars discussing Van’s philosophical treatments of time in the novel.

Weaknesses

• The articulated focus is very specific, however this element highlighted in the thesis--I argue that Nabokov radicalizes the decadent imagination by embedding it within scientific models of time and cognition—seems to be lost in the later discussions. Consider rephrasing the thesis to more accurately reflect what is done in the rest of the article, as the science element is one of many topics discussed.
• The scholarship in the Nabokov and decadence section can be developed and updated. Much has been written on decadence in Pale Fire and Lolita, for example, and these ideas can be applied to and/or contrasted with decadence in Ada.
• The various discussions throughout the article could be tied to the special issue’s main theme a bit more clearly—how the novel participates in various elements of fin-de-siecle decadence is indeed made clear, but the extent to which Nabokov is extending and/or misusing the elements could be made more explicit.

Specific Comments

• Work on a smoother transition between section 2 and 3 (around line 200). The move in the argument should be maintained and/or better clarified here.
• Section 3 offers some excellent close reading; consider engaging more fully with other scholars who discuss issues of time in the novel.
• Line 338—consider explaining more fully so that it is much clearer how Section 3’s analysis relates to the specific special issue, namely extension and use/misuse of decadence as a genre.
• Lines 538-48: this is a particularly strong discussion linking this section to the broader themes of the special issue. Do more of this throughout.
• Need a smoother transition into Section 6 foregrounding how this section fits in with the broader discussion.
• Instead of a summary style conclusion, consider revising it to emphasize how all these discussions relate to the larger theme of the special issue and how they relate to the scholarship on Ada specifically and Nabokov studies more generally.

 

Other Considerations

• Consider searching The Edinburgh Companion to Fin-de-Siecle Literature, Culture and the Arts for additional contextual and/or background information to further situate this discussion of Nabokov.
• See Brian Boyd’s “Nabokov, Time, and Timelessness: a Reply to Martin Hagglund” as well as Hagglund’s response to this reply—this critical conversation might be helpful for framing this article’s use of Hagglund.
• Theories of time and its uses in narratology (e.g., Time and Literature, edited by Thomas M. Allen)
• Consider addressing more fully the cultural views of and reactions to science in fin-de-siecle literature—it seems Nabokov with his interest in and knowledge of contemporary physics is engaging science in ways similar to and possibly different from late 19^th-century fin-de-siecle writers who reacted to the increasing scientism of the Victorian era.
• Is there room to address the morality of decadence literature and the ethics of reading? (e.g., Booth’s The Company We Keep)—this issue may be beyond the scope of the article, but possibly an endnote about this key literary issue, especially with decadence and narratology, critical issues of the ethics of reading do come up. Another possible article to consider: “Time, Individualisation, and Ethics: Relating Vladimir Nabokov and Education” by Saeverot, Herner in Education Philosophy and Theory.

Author Response

please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author has responded to all the points of critique stated in the first report and has thoroughly revised her paper. The revisions are sufficient and the overall quality of the paper has improved a lot. However, the author is (once again) advised to check whether the paper is correctly referenced. In the abstract the phrase "burlesque parody of Bergsonian consciousness" (lines 11 /12) is taken literally from Adam Barrow's book without referencing Barrow's Time, Literature, and Cartography After the Spatial Turn as a source. Furthermore, the author should check in a final step whether all book titles are formatted in italics (lines 263, 343, 457, 520, 537, 710, 738, 792)

Author Response

Thank you for your helpful feedback on my manuscript. I have carefully revised the essay in response to your comments, as summarized below:

1. Introductory Synopsis: In response to the suggestion to better orient readers unfamiliar with Ada, I have added a concise synopsis in Section 1 (Ada and the Exploration of Temporal Texture), immediately following the opening paragraph. This synopsis outlines how Van and Ada’s incestuous relationship begins, the interruption in their relationship, and its later resumption. The addition provides essential context before the essay engages with complex philosophical and aesthetic analyses, facilitating a smoother entry for readers.
2. Van’s Conception of Time: I have revised Section 1 to demonstrate how Van’s unconventional concept of time is manifested in the novel through monologues, dialogues with Ada, and the broader third-person chronicle structure. These revisions clarify the contrast between the surface-level narrative framework and Van’s subjective temporality, illustrating how Nabokov’s temporal experimentation functions in practice.
3. Streamlining and Cohesion: Repetitive analysis has been reduced without altering the substantive content of the subsections. Transitions between sections have been smoothed to allow the essay to move seamlessly from narrative framework to aesthetic lineage and then to philosophical and structural analysis. These changes enhance readability and strengthen the essay’s overall argumentative coherence.

 

I believe these revisions address your suggestions and improve the clarity and accessibility of the manuscript. I look forward to your further feedback.