Difference between revisions of "ATD 695-723"

Revision as of 11:30, 12 February 2007

Please keep these annotations SPOILER-FREE by not revealing information from later pages in the novel.

Page XX

Sample entry
Please format like this.

Page 697

Austro-Hungarian Emigrants embarking in Trieste ca. 1907

emigrant traffic to America
According to this german Wikipedia paragraph about 3.5 to 4 Million emigrants left Austria-Hungary between 1876 and 1910, almost 3 millions of them heading to U.S.A., most of them via Hamburg but many from Triest, too (the travel from there took about two weeks). In 1907 alone it was about half a million emigrants. In 1910 the population of Austria-Hungary was about 51.4 millions.

Whitehead Torpedo Factory
see Wikipedia on Robert Whitehead

Zengg
German name for the town of Senj, Croatia.

Uskok
Serbian/Croatian: fugitive. What Pynchon is circumscribing here is the fact that the Uskoks of Zengg were a famous pirate community.

the Macedonian Question
Raised, apparently, only among non-Macedonians. What boundaries are the Powers to create and which Power is to have dominant interest there?
served.
Area known as Macedonia comprises five soveriegn states in the present. There is a whole article on The Macedonia Question in The Encyclopedia Brittanica, if anyone has access and wants to post it. Winston Churchill: "Macedonia has more history than it can consume".

This contributor tries to destill the "Macedonin Question" from Wikipedia and, just having access to the 1911 Encyclopedia Article on Macedonia, from that article:

1. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had its origins in the Russian goal of gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea and liberating the Orthodox Christian Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgarians, Serbians) from the Islamic-ruled Ottoman Empire. Wikipedia 1

2. The war resulted in the Treaty of San Stefano (March 1878), which granted control over Macedonia to russophile Bulgaria Wikipedia 2

3. ...but got overruled by the Treaty of Berlin a few months later Wikipedia 3, thereby giving back control over Macedonia to Turkey (Ottoman Empire)

4. The 1911 Britannica says the "Macedonian Question" arises with the Treaty of Berlin read here about the complexities (last couple paragraphs)

5. All this geopolitical/-commercial/nationalist/religion-inspired madness - among which the "Macedonian Question" is just a part - leads to "Balkan Wars 1 & 2" (1912-1913) Wikipedia 4 (and WW1).

Page 698

The Prater
The Wiener (Vienna) Prater is a large public park (approximately 4,000 acres) and consists of lawns, gardens, and forests source and is located in Vienna's second district Wikipedia Fotos from about 1900. Ever since the Prater was opened to the public in 1766 it has attracted fun-seekers - and prostitution.

The 1873 World Fair took place here. This site comes with interesting links about the Fair.

knout-fancier
The knout was a heavy whip used for punishment and compulsion in Russia. A knout-fancier is a sadist specializing in this instrument.

Capuziner
Should be: Kapuziner. The Austrian variety of Cappuccino; it is done with sweetened whipped cream instead of milk froth.

Page 699

Restaurant Eisvogel ca. 1865

Leopoldstadt
Vienna‘s 2nd district Wikipedia. The relevant 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Vienna entry reads: "Leopoldstadt which together with Brigittenau are the only districts on the left bank of the Danube Canal, is the chief commercial quarter, and is inhabited to a great extent by Jews."

Eisvogel
A traditional restaurant in the Prater. Eisvogel = kingfisher

IX Bezirk
The Ninth District (or Ward) of Vienna. Freud among many others kept an office there Wikipedia. Basically, the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Vienna entry; "Alsergrund, with the enormous general hospital, the military hospital and the municipal asylum for the insane, is the medical quarter." is still valid nowadays.

Page 700

The Colonel himself removed the blindfold
see Cyprian's conversation with his father at P.490 - "Are you a general?" "More like a Colonel."

non-Prussian, indeed crypto-Oriental, blood
Some writers were at pains to equate brutal Germans with Huns.

In case the Colonel is Max Khäutsch this recalls Lew‘s first impression when meeting him as a watchdog of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at the Columbian Fair (p. 47): "... the oblique plains of his face revealing an origin somewhere in the Slavic vastness of Europe as yet but lightly traveled by the recreational visitor..."

Volksgarten
A park in Vienna‘s inner city, close to the parliament german Wikipedia

"Ritter Georg Hoch!"
a hymn (sung to this tune) to the Führer of the "Alldeutsche Vereinigung", Ritter Georg von Schönerer (1842-1921), Austrian politician, Pan-Germanist, Arch-Anti-Semite, Slavophobe, Anti-Catholic. He was a son of Austrian Railroad Tycoon Matthias Schönerer. Schönerer‘s ideas had a major influence on Adolf Hitler who lived in Vienna 1908-1913 (aged 19-24) Wikipedia interesting book

Page 701

Theign, Derrick
Book title, Anglo-Saxon Theign: The collapse of Roman rule in Britain was not so much a sudden catastrophe as a long and drawn-out decline. The 'Celtic' Britons retreated gradually to the highland areas of Wales, Cornwall and the south-west of Scotland. Control of the fertile eastern lowlands was lost to warriors of Germanic origin who migrated from the Continent. These Germanic conquerors have become known to history as the 'Anglo-Saxons'.

In Henry James' novel The Outcry, there's a widowed Lord Theign, who to cover the gambling debts of his daughter Kitty Imber, is planning to sell his beautiful painting Duchess of Waterbridge by Sir Joshua Reynolds to American billionaire Breckinridge Bender; code name "Good Shepherd" in Vienna.

Page 702

Zsuzsa
Pronounced ZHOO-zha. Has TRP been watching "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"? The artiste in maquillage will give Cyprian's hair a little zhözh.

atelier
Designer's/craftman's studio

Page 703

Fiaker...Fiakerlieder
Traditional Viennese two horse cab website. "Fiakerlieder" are songs about/sung by the cabbys, more often than not of the sentimental kind.

Süd-Bahnhof
One of Vienna‘s main railway stations Wikipedia. Located about a mile from the city‘s center. From here trains would leave towards the south "Südbahn". This railway wasnt nationalized until 1924.

Ostend Express...Staatsbahn
Thats quite confusing: the Vienna-Ostend-Express (on tracks 1894-1914 & 1925 until mid 1990‘s german Wikipedia) left from the Westbahnhof Wikipedia. The "Westbahn" was nationalized (german: verstaatlicht) in 1882, so "Staatsbahn" might refer to the Westbahnhof. However, from 1910-1914 the "Staatsbahnhof" was the railwaystation where trains to the east left Vienna - no trains to Belgium or a home further west there.

"A thousand Kreuzer? That isn‘t even ten quid.", ..."thirty K. per day"
It is rather unlikely that Theign hands out "Kreuzer", unless the Fiaker-ride takes place pre-1900: Austrian currency from 1892 on was the "Krone" ("Crown"; abbrevation: K.) which consisted of 100 "Heller" Wikipedia. From January 1st, 1900, on it completely replaced the "Gulden" which had consisted of 60 "Kreuzer" Wikipedia. But then, maybe, the old nomination "Kreuzer" remained as a common term for the new currency‘s smaller unit "Heller" for some while afterwards. "Quid" is slang for the British Pound Sterling Wikipedia. According to this site ten "quid" from early 1900s would equal some 700+ pounds as per 2006.

...passing electric lamplight flaring...
According to this site (german) in the early 1900s most of Viennas street lights with the exception of the inner city were still gas lights.

Page 704

Kuppelei
German: Procuring, pimping.

Not even if England expects it
Allusion to Nelson's signal at Trafalgar: "England expects that every man will do his duty."

'we of the futurity"
Who is speaking from such an omniscient 'future"? If we assume the we of the futurity is the readership, it is also possible to equate us the readers, as voyagers into the past via the novel, with the they who raid the past to support an unsustainable future (our own?), raiders like Ryder Thorn (p. 551 ff, esp. p. 554-5). Which raises questions about the status of the novel itself as a device for time travel/depradation.

Page 706

"...miniature submarines...launched from the bow as if they themslves were torpedos."
This might refer to the "Ortella", from which - in WW2 - the Italians launched manned torpedos website

Page 707

Voznab
A typically Russian way of abbreviating a phrase with a lot of syllables.

vozdushnyi nablyudenie
Russian: as translated in the text, but the gender agreement is wrong (should be vozdushnoye).

...they may want you back at the Metternichgasse
This refers most likely to the British Embassy in Vienna which is located at Metternichgasse 6. source, historical photos. As this adress is in the "Embassy-Quarter" of Vienna it could refer to another Embassy (Among others, the Embassies of Germany, Italy and China reside at Metternichgasse as well).

Leics
Leicestershire.

Page 708

Partagas
Brand of cigar; touts itself as "The World's Richest Cigar".

unreflective desire
Probably from a translation of Plato's Phaedrus.

Page 710

vecchio fazool
Mock-Italian: old bean.

Page 712

"history of human emotion"
Ah, wow! Cf. 'range of emotions' earlier.

subfusc
subfusc \sub-FUHSK\, adjective: Dark or dull in color; drab, dusky.

angles of repose
Positions assumed by falling objects at their final eqilibrium point (geological); title and guiding image of a novel by Wallace Stegner, also involving western mining districts.

"romance"..in the history of human emotion..showed [with] great trembling through to "a hateful future"
Some connection. The Romantic movement in music/art led to a hateful future?

Hotel Klomser
Colonel Alfred Redl [1] was an Austrian intelligence officer who, when blackmailed by Russian Intelligence because of his homosexual activities, betrayed Austria's entire military plan for Serbia and for general mobilization in case of war with Russia. Caught by his own men, he committed suicide at the Hotel Klomser in 1913[2].

'Feinschmeckerei
German: epicureanism.

Page 713

Sachertorte mit Schlag
A world-renowned Viennese cake, here served with whipped cream. The next part of the exchange notes that Schlag also means a blow.

praetorian
Praetorian may mean:

Praetorian Guard, a special force of skilled and celebrated warriors used by Roman Emperors. Praetorian (software), an intelligent surveillance software suite.

Miskolci
Hungarian name derived from the town of Miskolc.

Page 714

Leclanché cells
A kind of dry-cell battery.

Cosmoline
A brand of petrolatum or petroleum jelly.

Electricity!...the 'elan vital' itself....!
'elan vital' = life force. Ironically thematic?

Beda Chanson‘s "Ausgerechnet Bananen"
Friedrich Löhner-Beda (1883-1942) was one of the most successful Austrian writers of lyrics for popular music and cabarets in the 1920s and early 30s, usually signing as "Beda" weblink. He translated/adapted Frank Silver and Irving Cohn's song "Yes, We Have No Bananas" (released 1923 (!)) into German. While the original makes fun of a fruitshop-owner who cant say "we run out of bananas", Beda's german version is the lamento of a beau/Don Juan about the capricious demands - the fruit being the symbol of the exotic back then and hard to find in Europe - of the adored lady. "Ausgerechnet Bananen" translates as: "Of all things, bananas (Bananas she's asking of me)". english/german lyrics

Yzhitsa
In the pre-1917 Russian alphabet, the last letter (not available in this character set), used in a few Greek-derived words. In present-day Russian it's called izhitsa, but the letter is shaped a little like a Y and may be correctly transliterated so. "To write izhitsa to someone" means to eliminate them.

Page 715

Liebling
German: darling.

Kundschaftsstelle
German: reconnaissance office.

Honigfalle
German: honey trap.

Leo Slezak
Tenor, born in Moravia 1873, performed in Europe and America, died 1946. His son was the actor Walter Slezak.

Dickwanst . . . Fettarsch
German: potbelly . . . fat-ass.

return of the repressed
A psychoanalytic term, from Freud himself in which our refusal to honour or recognise an impulse--usually the sexual impulse-- does not drive the impulse away. It returns in a dehumanised way, transformed into something wild and destructive. Here, applied to marching working-class men and women, the psychoanalytic meaning merges with the social meaning, it seems": 'the oppressed'

Page 716

Czerny's School of Velocity
Music students' exercise book; velocity is of course a term in calculating a vector.

Both offices
The Okhrana, Russian secret police, and the Kundschaftsstelle, Austrian security agency.

Page 717

Hypatia
Ca. 370-415, Alexandrian mathematician, murdered by a Christian sect.

Page 718

regulars at Dobner‘s on the day it closed its doors (1909)

Colney Hatch
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (or Friern Hospital) was a hospital located in Colney Hatch in what is now the London Borough of Barnet. It was in operation from 1851 to 1993. At its height the asylum was home to 3,500 mental patients and had the longest corridor in Britain, and hence, its name was synonymous among Londoners with any mental institution [3].

Dobner

Dobner at Getreidemarkt Nr.1 ca. 1900

Getreidemarkt
German: grain market. The street separating Vienna‘s 1st ("Inner City") and 6th ("Mariahilf") district.

Szekszárdi Vörös
Red wine from the Szekszárd region of Hungary.

Gewürztraminer
White wine from Alsace.

a white cloth bag of tarhonya from the previous century
Tarhonya are tiny pellets of dried pasta, a popular and well-storable ingredient in Hungarian country cooking.

Page 719

nervnost'
Russian: edginess.

Page 720

"Monsieur Azeff"
Yevno Fishelevich Azeff (1869-1918), Social Revolutionary provocateur and terrorist; in hiding outside Russia after 1908.

darázsfészek
Hungarian: literally, wasps' nest. A rolled, filled pastry with almonds.

Dobos torte
Several thin layers of sponge cake and chocolate cream, topped with a hard caramel glaze.

Rigó Jancsi
A chocolate sponge cake with chocolate mousse filling. Named after a virtuoso Magyar Gypsy violinist, who made the headlines when he ran away with the American wife of the Belgian Duke of Chimay.

Váci út
A street name; the second word is Hungarian: way.

Angel's Field
Angyalföld in Hungarian, a working-class neighbourhood in northern Budapest.

Page 721

Spittelberg today

Spittelberggaße
should be Spittelberggasse. The Spittelberg has been a redlight district within Vienna‘s 7th district ("Neubau") for centuries (until about 1960). It is said that Giacomo Casanova enjoyed himself and a few ladies there. After renovations started in the late 1980‘s it‘s a place for the urban rich today.

catamite
A boy kept for purposes of sexual perversion. (Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary)

Page 722

high-tessitura dismay
Italian tessitura (literally "texture") means the way a vocal part "lies." High tessitura means sustained singing in a high register. The phrase here means screaming or shrieking.

bora
An occasional violent cold north to northeast wind that blows over the northern Adriatic from the interior highlands. (Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary)

Ma signori, um po' di moderazione, per piacere
Italian: Sirs, a little moderation, if you please.

Annotation Index