Jane answers “Why the title white nights? I can't stop...”

Adel Zahedi asked this question about White Nights:

Why the title white nights? I can't stop thinking about this wonderful book.

Jane White nights in russian refers to the phenomenon around the the time of the summer solstice when the sun doesn't set completely and so at night it's n…moreWhite nights in russian refers to the phenomenon around the the time of the summer solstice when the sun doesn't set completely and so at night it's not completely dark, it's just dusk. I believe the farther north you go the more pronounced the phenomenon becomes, changing from polar day to the polar night (several months of constant sunlight and then several months of comlete darkness). Saint Petersburg, where the story takes place, is famous for it's white nights, and is commonly called the city of white nights. In Saint Petersburg they last roughly from the end of may to the middle of june. So that's what the title refers to.(less)

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Adel Zahedi Thanks Jane and everyone for the explanation. Greatly appreciated.
Feb 18, 2016 05:51PM

Gamal Thank you very much, your comment explained a very important aspect of the title which mixes the night and the day, just like what the story itself te ...more
Dec 30, 2021 11:39PM

Gamal Before reading your comment, I was thinking that white nights means sleepless nights, this is meaning of nuits blanches in French.
Dec 30, 2021 11:44PM

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