wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly) (02/09/85)
I've been a fan of Vladimir Nabokov's fiction for a number of years
now, and thought those unfamiliar with his work might appreciate a few
mini-reviews of a few of his books. This list is by no means complete,
and Nabokov is (in my opinion) an acquired taste. He likes to play
games with reality and the reader's consciousness of the
writer/character/reader relationship, and this turns quite a few
people off. He's also (or was; V. N. died a few years ago) a
first-rate lepidopterist (butterflies feature prominently in many of
his books), and an elegant stylist who cares little for Freudian
approaches to human behavior. In no particular order:
(1) Speak, Memory. Nabokov's autobiography. One of his great
obsessions was memory and its relationship with reality.
This covers the period from his birth through his coming
to America and (as I recall) the writing of Lolita.
(2) Lolita. This book has been called one of the greatest books
written in the English language since WWII. It plays on the
detective fiction genre (there's a murder involved, and clues
and red herrings are scattered throughout the book), and on
a certain sort of late 19th century pornography as well (the
full title of the book is "Lolita: or, confessions of a white
widowed male"). I've read it several times, and always find
a lot to admire in it. If you really want to get into this
book and understand Nabokov's fiction, you should get Appel's
annotated version of the book (available in paperback). I
hope this minireview doesn't feed the pornography controversy
in this group :-)
(3) Pale Fire. One of the strangest pieces of fiction structurally
that I've ever read. It consists of a ~1500 line autobiograph-
ical poem called 'Pale Fire' by a fictional poet John Shade,
and a set of notes at the back of the book by his fictional
critic (his name escapes me at the moment). The critic
recommends buying two copies of the book (clever marketing on
the part of Nabokov!) so the notes and poem can be read at the
same time. I agree with him. Read this one, if you're up for
a most unusual fictional experience.
(4) Ada. The fictional chronical of the Van Veen family, and the
incestuous relationships between two sisters and their brother.
As far as I could make out when I read it, this story is set
in a sort of parallel universe to ours, in which Russia and
North America are one nation and/or physically joined at
Alaska (it's been quite a while since I've read it). Our own
earth is the place people in the parallel world dream of at
night, and where they go when they die. A friend of mine who
has a PhD in English and is heavily into Nabokov says that
Ada and Nabokov's last two novels (Transparent Things and
Look At The Harlequins!) are actually narrated from beyond the
grave. This one's a lot of work (at least it was for me).
There are many, many others; stories in which characters go mad
when they realize they're fictional characters, stories full of
paradox and mystery. I recommend them all to anyone who likes a
good story and the sound of the English language in the hands of
a first-rate craftsman.