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Vladimir Nabokov

pontalba said:
Well, either of them would be fine with me. I read the intro to Despair, and part of Glory. It is interesting that Nabokov compares Glory to Ada in that: And he calls the main character:

In Despair, the intro includes: :rolleyes:

So, where ever the bouncing ball takes us.............:cool:
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Pontalba,
I hate to tell ya' but those quotes only made the books sound equally attractive. Which tells me we can't go wrong whatever we decide. Interesting to read of there being a fine upstanding young man in a Nabokov novel, though. Not that Pnin wasn't wonderful but they are a rare breed. For a fine upstanding young woman, see next post.
peder
 
The Gift

So where would we find a fine upstanding young woman in a Nabokov novel? In addition to Joan Clements in Pnin, that is? Well, who do you think would be the finest most upstanding young woman that Nabokov might imagine? You guessed it, and she is found in The Gift, as Zina. Here's the story

Vera - NYT

Moreover, according to The Cambridge Companion to Nabokov, Fyodor in The Gift is also
...the closest alter ego of Nabokov's in all of his fiction, having largely appropriated not only his creator's pencil but his childhood, parents, talents, poems, literary views and, in Zina, even his future wife.
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The novel is further described as
"the portrait of Nabokov as a young artist in Berlin.
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So, that sounds like it might be one more for the growing list of "What Next?" over here, even as Pnin continues along nicely over there.

Respectfully offered,
peder
 
So I suppose it depends on whether we wish to go with an upstanding young man, or an upstanding young woman...............:D hmmmmm.....
Something to think about.

Thanks for posting that link to Vera's article. Now that was a marriage. Even if he did stray at one time. He learned his lesson, and retained his backbone. :cool:
 
StillILearn said:
Would anybody be interested in reading Pale Fire along with me?
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LOL SIL! Ya hadda throw another branch on the fire eh? :eek: :D I suppose it depends on who has what copy of what available to them at present. Whatever everyone decides is ok with me, but I had kind of wanted to leave Pale Fire toward the end of our journey. But any Nabokov is ok with me in the final analysis. :)

So, all in all at the moment we are considering Glory, The Gift, Despair, Ada, or Pale Fire. :rolleyes: ;) :D

Who has what book available to them at present? I have all of them, Peder has said he has all but two (not ones being considered though), Steffee has Despair and The Gift ? Breaca has Ada and Glory. Is all of that right? SIL, I take it you have Pale Fire and what else?

What say ye?

But I suspect some more can be had of Timofey.......
 
pontalba said:
So, all in all at the moment we are considering Glory, The Gift, Despair, Ada, or Pale Fire. :rolleyes: ;) :D

Who has what book available to them at present? I have all of them, Peder has said he has all but two (not ones being considered though), Steffee has Despair and The Gift ? Breaca has Ada and Glory. Is all of that right? SIL, I take it you have Pale Fire and what else?

What say ye?

But I suspect some more can be had of Timofey.......
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Pontalba,
I am definitely not done with posting on Pnin yet. But I can read, post and chew gum at the same time.

It's also true that I have any and all mentioned, so far, so that's not a concern here. However, whatever is decided it looks like some book buying will have to be done by someone since we don't have many all in common. So maybe the issue is who is willing or able to borrow or buy what?

But when you aks point blank what would I like to read, I get this strange answer that I would like to read a real mystery of his. Sebastian Knight? Or Harlequins, his last, if it was also obscure. Some time I'd like to read his best shot at confusing the reader. I think he has a hidden talent for that lurking somewhere. :rolleyes: Or whichever one I once
saw described as "not only does the reader not know what is going on, but neither do any of the characters." But that's only me, and I can do that anytime on my own, so I suggest we not expand the list just for that. I'll go look on Amazon and find which one that is anyway.

Pale Fire with SIL, and anyone? Yes, I wouldn't mind that at all. Someday maybe it won't elude me and I'll have an a-ha moment, but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe with SIL and Pontalba, and Breaca to explain it to me might do it, while I rock slowly back and forth. :D

I'd rather read what someone else suggests, especially something that everyone can get hold of.

It's not as if we are thinking of reading only one more Nabokov, are we? j/k j/k

Peder

PS SIL, Brian Boyd's companion book of interpretation to Pale Fire is fully as interesting and amazing as Pale Fire itself. I would almost call it a must read.

P.
 
I have Ada too, and last night I Amazoned and ordered Glory and Pale Fire. I would hate to be left out ;)
​
 
Well, I do admit to Sebastian Knight calling me from the beginning. :D But as I said above, whatever everyone has/wants. So, time will tell.
 
steffee said:
I have Ada too, and last night I Amazoned and ordered Glory and Pale Fire. I would hate to be left out ;)
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LOL Steffee What about the Companian that Boyd wrote? I have it, but don't want to read it until I actually read the book first.
I knew you'd already read Ada.
 
Well, I am now the proud owner of 5 Nabokov novels: Lolita, The Enchanter, Ada all of which the Book Fairy sent on gossamer wings of silver and gold and recently, courtesy of a local book sale, Glory and Invitation to a Beheading.

I do have other authors impatiently waiting in the wings but I'm game for another Nabokov.

PS: I love the foreward by VN to Glory - even here is relationship with the reader is very prominent
 
Morning! Something else I liked about Glory was in the Foreword, very first page.
The present translation is meticulously true to the text. My son took three years, on and off, to make a first draft, after which I spent three months preparing a fair copy.
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I don't know, something about DN having been the one to translate warms me. :eek:

SIL Where are you? What other Nabokovs do you have, or want to have? Are you absolutely firmly set on Pale Fire?
 
I'm sure you'll know this one, just idle curiosity you understand, but is Dmitri an accomplished author. Did he follow in his father's footsteps? Just thought I'd ask, as you do.
 
Breaca said:
I'm sure you'll know this one, just idle curiosity you understand, but is Dmitri an accomplished author. Did he follow in his father's footsteps? Just thought I'd ask, as you do.
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I don't think so. He was an opera singer, race car driver, etc.... but as far as I know he has only written articles to do with his father and translations. What is so nice, is that he worked so closely with VN, that we know the exact meaning is caught accurately.

Off for tea...CUL.:)
 
Steffee,
Don't let 'em kid ya!
There was no way you were going to be left out, books or no books. :)
If you only have Mother Goose, and want to read it in this thread, we'll do it! :eek:

Peder
 
Peder said:
Steffee,
Don't let 'em kid ya!
There was no way you were going to be left out, books or no books. :)
If you only have Mother Goose, and want to read it in this thread, we'll do it! :eek:

Peder
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Yeah, what he said.....:D Too.

Now.....I am going for my Tea!
 
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