The Enchanter

The Enchanter | Vladimir V. Nabokov

pick

I haven‘t read Lolita. This is supposed to be a precursor - an earlier pedophile story written in 1939 in France (as WWII kicked off) in perfect Russian prose and then lost. The rediscovered manuscript was translated in 1985. Its funny - first. The unnamed perv almost accidentally becomes decent, as fickle fate toys with his dark plans, and he dreads every piece of good news. It ends sick in several ways, but an entertaining story.

BarbaraBB I have never heard about this but your review is very intriguing. 4y

Graywacke @BarbaraBB as a lighter novella, it terrific. And only 77 pages without afterward. (Of course he has to keep the reader in perpetrators viewpoint, so a little thinking about other characters can make one uncomfortable.) 4y

BarbaraBB I‘ve been scrolling through your Nabokov posts and want to read some others too. I loved Pnin and Lolita and have Ada sitting on my shelves 4y

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Graywacke @BarbaraBB i hope to get to those this year. Especially looking forward to Lolita and Pale Fire. I‘m curious how the English novels will compare to the Russian-original translations. Might be some kind of style change. ?? 4y

BarbaraBB There probably are but I like to think many Russian books were translated into French at the time because speaking French was a big thing in Russia at the time. So maybe the French translation stay very close to the Russian and can be a guide to other translations. But that‘s just my wish! 4y

Graywacke @BarbaraBB interesting thought. I was entertained with Dmitri Nabokov explaining his father wrote in “proper St. Petersburg Russian” (instead of like Moscow). Wonder if it was more French. In the short biography I read his Russian novels are characterized as especially elegant prose. Whereas his English novels are characterized as linguistically inventive and playful. I‘ve been very curious about what that comment will mean as i read through. 4y

BarbaraBB That is so interesting. I read them in Dutch and would describe them as elegant well as playful! I‘ll follow your journey! Have a happy new year Dan 💚🍾🍀 4y

Graywacke @BarbaraBB you too, Happy New Year! 🥂 4y

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Graywacke

The Enchanter | Vladimir V. Nabokov

Started this morning and I‘m nearly done. This is a precursor to Lolita, an abandoned Russian language manuscript. It‘s entertaining and quotable as the narrator appears to do the decent thing outside, but with perverted motivation and feelings quite counter to his actions. One quote. He tries to reason with himself, “knowing, moreover, that this selfsame rationality is not adverse to vulgarizing that to which it is otherwise denied access.”

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Gezemice

The Enchanter | Vladimir V. Nabokov

so-so

Nabokov‘s short story is the precursor to Lolita, and its main attraction is to compare and contrast the story‘s evolution with the novel. Lolita‘s main genius is the brilliant use of the English language. This story was written in Russian, and no doubt it is dazzling in its original, however son Dmitri Nabokov‘s translation is overwrought and circumspect, which dampened my enjoyment a lot. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
@collegecatlady #newyearwhodis

monalyisha

Gezemice @collegecatlady Thank you for the recommendation! It was very interesting to compare this to Lolita, and I see the similar elements and also how it evolved. I just wish Nabokov had translated it himself. 6y

wellreadredhead I totally see where you‘re coming from about the translation. I love getting a glimpse into a writer‘s process and this did that for me especially well as you mention! 6y

Gezemice @collegecatlady Yes! It was very interesting to see what elements he kept. Lolita is a lot more nuanced, and I found it also interesting that no one is named in this story, whereas Lolita is so interwoven with the title name, and other names in the novel. This makes it a lot more personal. (edited) 6y

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wellreadredhead

The Enchanter | Vladimir V. Nabokov

I am determined to reach 175 books before 2019! I‘ve always wanted to reach 200, but it seems that will just have to be my ultimate goal for next year! #goodreads #readingchallenge #imalsoingradschool

MaleficentBookDragon 🎉🎉🎉👋 6y

Redwritinghood You got this! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y

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wellreadredhead

The Enchanter | Vladimir V. Nabokov

pick

I love Nabokov. His prose and language styling is unmatched. I can‘t get enough of Nabokov and this extended short story that precedes Lolita is brilliant.

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