Speak, Memory--Ch. 8

"In a flowing silk gown and net mitts, a period piece rather than a live person, she spent most of her life on a couch, fanning herself with an ivory fan." --Vladimir Nabokov, page 155

This sentence reflects Nabokov's amazing ability to describe people accurately and creatively at the same time. He can see his grandmother, looking back, as a "period piece rather than a live person"; that says so much in so little words. His memory is so sharp! I have to wonder if writing was the secret to unlocking his memory, if maybe I can remember more if I just write and write. I liked how he used the transition of a "magic lantern sequence" for this chapter; just another brilliant way of putting together these snapshots of memory.