Reflections on 'Signs and Symbols by Vladimir Nabokov'

Referential mania - “In these very rare cases the patient imagines that everything happening around him is a veiled reference to his personality and existence. He excludes real people from the conspiracy - because he considers himself to be so much more intelligent than other men. Phenomenal nature shadows him wherever he goes.”

This is an interesting read. It unfolds over a Friday when everything goes wrong for a couple whose son suffers from referential mania. As the day progresses, omens and patterns begin to emerge, and just before the climax, the story abruptly ends—leaving us wondering what might have happened.

So what do you do now? Do you return to the story and decipher its patterns to reach a logical conclusion? Do you construct your own—or do you simply not care? In other words, what degree of referential mania do you choose to experience?

Worth reading again ;)

Vocabulary Reference

• dainty (adj.) - delicately small and pretty.
• trifle (n.) - a thing of little value or importance.
• mauve (n.) - a pale purple color.
• garrulous (adj.) - excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
• sanitarium (n.) - an establishment for the medical treatment of people who are convalescing or have a chronic illness.
  • convalesce (v.) - recover one’s health and strength over a period of time after an illness or operation.
• shuffle (v.) (usually followed by ‘into’) - move clumsily
• fledged (adj.) - (of a young bird) having wing feathers that are large enough for flight; able to fly.
• grubby (adj.) - dirty; grimy.
• sunfleck (n.) - a brief, transient patch of direct sunlight that penetrates the canopy of a forest or plant community to reach the shady understory
  • understory (n.) - a layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest.
• undulation (n.) - the action of moving smoothly up and down.
• flit (v.) - move swiftly and lightly.
• dregs (n.) - the remnants of a liquid left in a container, together with any sediment or grounds.
• landing (n.) - a level area at the top of a staircase or between one flight of stairs and another.
• wanly (adv.) - in a way that shows no energy or enthusiasm
• deprecation (n.) - the expression of a negative view of someone or something; criticism or disapproval.
• grimace (n.) - an ugly, twisted expression on a person’s face, typically expressing disgust, pain, or wry amusement.
• victual (n.) - food or provisions.
• tinkle (v.) - make or cause to make a light, clear ringing sound.
• supine (adj.) - lying on one’s back with face upward.
• simian (adj.) - relating to, resembling, or affecting apes or monkeys.
• mangle (v.) - severely mutilate, disfigure, or damage by cutting, tearing, or crushing.
• stagger (v.) - walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall.
• astrakhan (n.) - the tightly curled fleece of the fetal or newborn karakul (also spelled caracul) lamb
  • fleece (n.) - the woolly covering of a sheep or goat.
• bestial (adj.) - of or like an animal or animals.
• beau (n.) - a person’s boyfriend or male admirer.
• gape (v.) - stare with one’s mouth open wide in amazement or wonder.
• bristle (n.) - a short stiff hair, typically one of those on an animal’s skin, a man’s face, or a plant.