TALKING WITH EMILY PRAGER / Madame Butterfly ALL EDITIONS

• Published in: Newsday
• Main Author: Daniel Handler. Daniel Handler's novel, "The Basic Eight," has just been published
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Long Island, N.Y Newsday LLC 02.05.1999
• Edition: Combined editions

But although its publication coincides rather neatly with Vladimir Nabokov's 100th birthday, "Roger Fishbite" has less to do with "Lolita" than with the shadow the classic novel has cast over America. "It's funny, because actually I got the idea and the contract for the book so long ago that it had nothing to to do with the centenary of Nabokov or anything," Prager says, frowning at comparisons with other Lolitaphiles such as A. M. Homes or Pia Pera (the Italian novelist under fire by the Nabokov estate for her book "Lo's Diary"). "I was interested in dealing not so much with Lolita as he created her but Lolita the icon. Lolita as we know Lolita has virtually nothing to do with Nabokov's book any more. Lolita entered the consciousness and . . . became a sort of demonized sex child. It's not {Nabokov's} fault." Not that Prager lets him entirely off the hook. "The writing is wonderful, there's no question, it's fabulous and funny. On the other hand, I do think it's worth thinking that if you're going to list the top 100 books, should {you include} a book about a guy who destroys a little girl, as great a book as it is?"