LOLITA Vladimir Nabokov
Tertulias literarias Literatur Solasaldiak Literary Circle
Errenteriako Biblioteka 2018 / 11 / 21
Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was born on (or about) April 23, 1899, in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Nabokov household was trilingual, and as a young man, he studied Slavic and romance languages at Trinity College, Cambridge, taking his honors degree in 1922. For the next eighteen years he lived in Berlin and Paris, writing prolifically in Russian under the pseudonym Sirin and supporting himself through translations, lessons in English and tennis, and by composing the first crossword puzzles in Russian. In 1925 he married Vera Slonim, with whom he had one child, a son, Dmitri. Having already fled Russia and Germany, Nabokov became a refugee once more in 1940, when he was forced to leave France for the United States. There he taught at Wellesley, Harvard, and Cornell. He also gave up writing in Russian and began writing fiction and books of criticism exclusively in English. Vladimir Nabokov died in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1977.
Selected Works Novels written in Russian: Mashen'ka (1926) - English translation: Mary (1970) Sogliadatay (1930) - novella, first publication as a book 1938; English translation: The Eye (1965)
Dar (1938) - English translation: The Gift (1963)
Novels written in English: The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (1941) Lolita (1955), self-translated into Russian (1965) Pnin (1957) Pale Fire (1962)
Lolita Lolita is a 1955 novel considered by many the greatest novel of the 20th century. It has been included in several lists of best books, such as Time's List of the 100 Best Novels, Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century, Bokklubben World Library and The Big Read. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert, is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, with whom he becomes sexually involved after he becomes her stepfather. "Lolita" is his private nickname for Dolores.
Reviews ·Lolita
is a major work of fiction; it is also a shocking book. (…) As
far as erotic detail is concerned, the book tells little that has not been dealt with in a lot of bestselling fiction; but where the sexy bestsellers talk about the sordid or tragic facts of life in staccato sociology, couch jargon or four-letter words, Lolita is the more shocking because it is both intensely lyrical and wildly funny. (original Time review)
Interesting links The original review in Time (SPOILERS!!!): http://time.com/3961443/review-lolita-1958/
Review in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/mar/01/lolita-vladimirnabokov-review
1958 review by The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1958/09/lolita-by-vladimirnabokov/304639/
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