Besides being obsessed with butterflies, Vladimir Nabokov was also a big fan of Franz Kafka’s work, especially The Metamorphosis.
He even tried to edit the work in an attempt to make it even better.
This can pose quite an interesting question. Is an author worthy of editing the work of another?
This shows a supreme confidence on the part of Nabakov, as well as a love of Kafka’s work. I admire that.
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interesting but perhaps Nabokov was a bit hasty and Karel Čapek had already edited it!
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I can’t see Nabokov editing Kafka–Nabokov was about form and style. Kafka was about ideas. Kafka’s work was painstakingly crafted, but each piece had significance that was greater than its style. Nabokov’s work was a sterile exploration of human motivation, with art as his tool. His analysis was as cold and bloodless as his dissection of butterflies. Kafka explored human motivation in order to get at some truth. I wouldn’t want to see Nabakov change one word that Kafka wrote.
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that leaves me wanting to read more about these authors…well said!
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That is an interesting question. I’d like to see Nabokov’s take on Kafka, but in general -No. Feels a bit disrespectful.
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How interesting!
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