The Return of Chorb Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. How does the narrative disrupt the normal flow of time? What is the effect of this technique?
  2. Which characters are you sympathetic towards when you read? What about the prostitute? The lackey?
  3. We talk a bit about the eerie and macabre tone of "The Return of Chorb," but does it also seem comic at times? What about that whole poodle/playbill incident? Is the story self-mocking, or just plain sinister?
  4. Did you read the rest of Details of a Sunset and Other Stories yet? Good, then you can talk about what themes you see reflected throughout the collection.
  5. What do you think about Nabokov’s using the Parsifal opera and the Orpheus myth as cornerstones of "Chorb"? Is this an interesting technique, or just a little over the top?