Vladimir Nabokov

[vazov666]

I could only dream that in Russia teachers will made so high-quality movies about russian writers for his pupil.

Respect and good luck!

I am envy your schoolboys!

[adonaisp]

After reading eloquent mediocrities like Salman Rushdie, Peter Ackroyd, Zadie Smith and god knows what else have cropped after the great man died, it is with a sob of relief, a roaring cry of unbridled ecstasy that one opens a book by Nabokov. Good god, save a few deathless oldies, where else in three languages would u find such a bliss-monger? Sure, he was a poseur, but a perfectly sincere one.and the magic of unique nabokovian words and coinages:iridule, pellucid, limpid,dappled!Lovely video!

[Garybag]

Thank you so much!V. Nabokov is the only bilingual genius writer in the world.His style - both in Russian and english - is perfect.But Americans are reluctant to recognize him as the greatest writer on par with Faulkner,Hemingway, Salinger, Fitzgerald...

[doloreshaze1935]

thank you for liking it!

[doloreshaze1935]

Almost impossible to find his poems, I really don't know why is that. i have the book of his poems, book is from 1959. and I must say that his poetry is not so attractive and enchanting like his novels, but they are written good.

[Farewellloveable]

Uncurtaining the night, I'd let dark glass

Hang all the furniture above the grass,

And how delightful when a fall of snow

Covered my glimpse of lawn and reached up so As to make chair and bed exactly stand Upon that snow, out in that crystal land!"

[doloreshaze1935]

I must say that is first word hat I heard that he did not write Pale fire. i was reading it, it excellent piece of work. It is not actually a novel, very hard to describe what is it actually, it is made of poem (cantos)written by some invented poet John Shade and comments on this poem written by also invented Zemblan king Kinbote.

[Farewellloveable]

The poem in Pale fire is this:

"I was the shadow of the waxwing slain

by the false azure of the windowpane;

I was the smudge of ashen fluff -- and I

Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky.

And from the inside, too, I'd duplicate

Myself, my lamp, an apple on a plate:

[Farewellloveable]

I made this account just to comment on here. But I thought I should tell you that in the Annoutated verson of Lolita I beleive they said that the poem in Pale Fire was not written by Nabokov, Though I am not sure because I have yet to read the novel myself.

[Elibobbob]

Lovely video. Where can I find online poem text of Nabokov's, I've been hunting very hard day & night and nothing, pls could someone give me a hint I need to read one of his poems.. basic human need!

[fracturedsleeper]

Thank you for that.

I await screen adaptations of my favorite Nabokov works: Bend Sinister & Despair.

Creative sorts message me.

[disturbiapixie]

there is a screen adaptation of Despair already in existence, one by Fassbinder, dating from 1978

[machinemolle]

Splendid, evocative hymn to the past, and VN in particular.

Also quite worthy of reading are STRONG OPINIONS, and the two volumes of LECTURES ON LITERATURE.

I also note that most Nabokovians overlook GLORY, one of his most magical novels, and the perfect example of his contention that fiction is but a fairy tale.

the exploits of Britney do not portend the demise of civilization. Nabokov is right that we have to seek out our "arbors and mists" - or butterflies.

-Vivian Darkbloom

[InmindEmpires]

The greatest writer I've ever read. I just can't believe his writings, his style, his words, his stories. Nabokov is definitely one of the most unique writers, not just from XX Century, but from all times.

Favourite books: "LOLITA", "ADA OR ARDOR", "PALE FIRE", "LAUGHTER IN THE DARK", "DESPAIR" & "THE DEFENSE"

[doloreshaze1935]

Same choice from me too!! Did you maybe read his play "Lolita" or Richard Corliss' book about Kubrick's Lolita? Highly reccomended!!!

[InmindEmpires]

of course, incredible book. I printed the play of "Lolita" by the way, jajaja the temptation was too much. Right now I'm writing like... a... short-film adaptation of "THE ENCHANTER" and re-reading for the 12th time "LOLITA" and having fun re-reading for the 8th time "PALE FIRE".

Greetings! Again thanks for post this

[dildopsychologist]

Yes, friends, The Gift is the perfect book on russian - it is a quintessential of russian.

[dolhaze]

Very nice video! You are so lucky! You can read his books in original and I have to fulfill my needs only by reading poor translations... oh...

[patblah]

he wrote in english . . . . .

he translated his books himself . . . .

you can read his work just fine. . . .

[AEvictor39]

Well, I came upon it, I watched it and I liked it !!!

[gatabella]

Marvellous tribute! Love it! Thank you!

[catabal]

Good, nice video. Thanks for that. I like Nabokov very much, I read most of his work.

Here in Chile my country, since the first version of the movie "Lolita" starring Sue Lyon (I did not see it) girls between 14 and 18 are called "lolitas"...excellent book!!

[stepbystep89]

Thanks a lot for your video! I rewatch it from time to time. Could you please tell me what's the music in the beginning?

[Lifegoesongundam]

He later found out he had almost killed Nabokov before he had completed his masterpiece. We all would have lost something there. Some of the greatest pieces of western literature would have never existed! Can you imagine?!

[Lifegoesongundam]

One night my professor's friend's dad was throwing a party. Their family lives on top of a hilltop where 3 flights of cement stairs lead up to the back door. Nabokov had gone out for a walk, and was coming out the stairway to re-enter the house when my professor's friend swung open the door and hit Nabokov in the face. Nabokov almost fell backwards but the young man who had hit him reached out and grabbed him before he splattered his head on the stairs.

[Lifegoesongundam]

I was talking to my Shakespeare professor the other day. He told me that his friend had almost killed Nabokov. (This before he wrote Lolita and I think it might have also been before he wrote Bend Sinister or Pale fire.) Here is the tale.

[Lifegoesongundam]

I just started reading Nabokov. He blew me away (the first chapter of Lolita, you all know what I'm talking about.) Anyrate, I was just reading some paris hilton comments and contemplating homicide, when I came across this. Its nice to know that there are smart people in the world. Being in High school and surronded mostly by morons I sometimes forget. But Wow, Nabokov's writing style, its some of the most beautiful I've ever read.

[doloreshaze1935]

I know the feeling, I feel often so stupid opening tv, and there is nothing but Lyndsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney, and I'm thinking that this world is going to hell, then I take Nabokov's book in my hands, and this is completely different world. He is probably one on the greatest novelist of 20th century (including Kafka and Joyce. ) I'm reading him since I was 13, this helped me to survive this morone high school world you are describing.

[HarryTheHead777]

Amen to that. I'm in high school too. I started with his autobiography called speak, memory. Now i am onto INvitation to a beheading...its great and weird, very weird.

[ALPHCE]

The beautiful passages in Lolita are all the more impressive considering that English was not Nabokov's first language. From start-"Lolita, light of life, fire of my loins, my sin, my soul, Lolita"-to finish-"I am thinking of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, the refuge of art. And this is the only immortality you and I may share my Lolita"-one cannot help but marvel at Nabokov's mastery of the English language.

[fuckyourmamma]

Isn't the first chapter only a paragraph?

[Lifegoesongundam]

Wow... To everyone else, thank you. You've made me more optimistic. To the articulate and eloquent Mr. Fuck your mamma:

Congratulations, you have demonstrated the perfect example of dramatic irony. To answer your question- no, it's 4 paragraphs.

[Lifegoesongundam]

Why are only 4 paragraphs so euphoric you ask? You are not expected to understand, just as we can not expect the Neanderthal to create a universal utopia. That would be cruel to the primitive animal of man. Others have raised my hope for the world, and you have dashed them splendidly; bravo. Yes, that's right; I do have an elitist attitude. Your manhood could not fit upon the head of a pin.

[fuckyourmamma]

I asked a simple question and I get a load of shit slammed in my face. But, reading all your replies it's obvious you also have nothing better to do than reply to everyone in an artificial prissy attitude that would undoubtedly make Humpert Humpert proud.

[sassysissycat]

thanks people for liking the video. I reccomend Brian Boyd's biography about Nabokov, realy great book about his life and work. About life footage, there is one documentary about his life, where he is reading from book Lolita, interesting video to watch.

[raindogg234]

Well Done, have you found any live footage of Nabokov..say in interviews?

[crayola50]

Good video, which reminds me of Nabokov's novel, Speak, Memory, arguably the best book I have ever read.

[Panthiades]

"I cannot separate the aesthetic pleasure of seeing a butterfly and the scientific pleasure of knowing what it is" Vladimir Nabokov.1959

[Panthiades]

nice...I'm actually studying the same butterfly family that he studied (Lycaenidae). And some of his scientific papers really inspire me.

[doloreshaze1935]

yes, he discovered some unknown species of butterflies, zoology and studying of insects was one of his passions, beside chess and poetry. If I remember correctly, he left his papers and butterflies to some institute in Switzerland?

[ALPHCE]

There is a good book about Nabokov's work as a lepidopterist entitled Nabokov's Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius. The authors are Kurt Johnson and Steven Coates. Literature and lepidoptery were the pillars of Nabokov's intellectual life and this book considers the interplay between these subjects very nicely.