And now I know, too, the pleasures of Ada, or Ardor. I have never been so daunted to write a post on a book before, and indeed, I still do not know if I can type anything worth reading. Ada, or Ardor (Get it? The humor lies in the pronunciation--long A's, so "Ada" sounds like "Ardor"!) is a hilarious, ribald, tender, beautiful novel that chronicles the relationship between Van Veen and Ada Veen, his sister. He first meets her when he is fifteen, she eleven, both under the impression they are cousins. Before they were born, their mother, Marina, had an affair with Demon Veen, but he ends up marrying Aqua, Marina's twin sister, who suffers from insanity. Marina instead marries Dan Veen, Demon's not-so-suave cousin. Trust me--I was confused, too. Anyways, Veen is raised by Aqua, with everyone (except Marina, Demon, and Aqua, when she is sane enough to think about it) under the impression that Aqua is his real mother. When he visits Marina and her two daughters, Lissette and Ada, Veen, without thinking twice, falls for Ada (and Lissette…). Discovering their true relationship deters them not even a little from their amorous adventures. The novel chronicles their meetings and separations throughout the years, with Van's interesting experiences in between. They usually meet in Ardis, the Veen's family country home, Edenic and opulent.
Oh, I forgot the mention--the book is "science-fiction," taking place in a world called Antiterra, similar but geologically and chronologically different than our world, which is deemed Terra by the people who know about it. (Only those who are crazy enough know about it from dreams and hallucinations).
The novel is extremely dense in its opening pages, and though the rest of the book is not necessarily easy, I advise readers to have patience with the beginning, for it is not welcoming. There are many parts towards the second half that are quite formidable, particularly when the narrator's ramblings, mixed with Ada's inserted notes, disrupt the narrative flow, or when untranslated foreign phrases are rampant. Some events seem a little random, though I dare not say out of place. I trust Nabokov enough to know anything in Ada is in place. In the end of the novel, Van starts discussing in great philosophical depth his theories on Time and Space. The very essence of the novel, I cannot give this part away, but I will say it was wonderful to read, particularly while in the midst of finishing Proust's In Search of Lost Time. Both works attempt the same project--go back in the past, relive and re-experience what once was, all the while thinking deeply about the very nature and "texture" of time (as Van Veen put it).
You must go and read it yourself. To say "Ada, or Ardor is funny" or "Ada, or Ardor is smart" are the world's biggest understatements. Though written mainly in English, French and Russian make too many appearances to say that text is written in one language. Multilingual phrases abound, and words that it seems were made up by Nabokov are not infrequent.
I'm frustrated with how inadequate this post was. I mean, I would have to read the book another three times to even be able to give insight. This book is not difficult to follow in terms of what is happening, but in terms of themes, wit, wordplay, and depth of allusion, I have only skimmed the surface. Ada builds very much on Proust, which was wonderful for me-- I could understand overt and subtle allusions to In Search of Lost Time, which were all over the book. I also was able to understand the few references to Nabokov's other works, having read Lolita and Pale Fire. Many other allusions had to do with Pushkin, whom I've heard of but have not had the opportunity to learn about.
I very much enjoyed this novel (again, another understatement) but now I am done and must continue with my summer reading! Next up: Number9dream, by David Mitchell.
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