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greg_m's review against another edition
5.0
A loveable eccentric Russian man by the name of Timofey Pnin and the hilarious tales of his blunders. A professor of Russian language in the German department of his university, he doesn’t really seem to fit in anywhere he goes, but he is oblivious to that. He is clumsy and aloof and a little challenged with his English, but he is as likeable as any other character I’ve read.
Nabokov has a way with writing these incredibly long sentences and using such a sesquipedalian vocabulary for the most mundane things, that it makes the actual act of reading a large part of the fun. The prose is just so beautiful at times; it can also be a bit crass and a bit hilarious. I admit, I did have to make heavy use of a dictionary while I read this, but it felt worth it. I liked reading Lolita so long ago, and I really enjoyed this one; I’ll have to check out some more by Nabokov soon.
Nabokov has a way with writing these incredibly long sentences and using such a sesquipedalian vocabulary for the most mundane things, that it makes the actual act of reading a large part of the fun. The prose is just so beautiful at times; it can also be a bit crass and a bit hilarious. I admit, I did have to make heavy use of a dictionary while I read this, but it felt worth it. I liked reading Lolita so long ago, and I really enjoyed this one; I’ll have to check out some more by Nabokov soon.
yeshi's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5: The protagonist slightly reminds me of Michael from 'The Office', or maybe I am watching the series too much.
Prof. Pnin has such a sad-sweet story; entangled in clumsy whirlwind of the world, this Russian professor struggles to find a "home" or rather find himself at home in this alien world. His constant struggles with language (light humour/puns/light parody), societal/family relations and dignity, his young love and his clumsiness - overall, makes it a delightful read. With much details of Pnin's "small/simply" life we could see he was a much loved character. It was shocking and *very* impressive when I learnt Nabokov wrote Pnin and Lolita almost together. To have created someone like Pnin and Humbert, at the same time and with so much character detail, makes me love Nabokov even more. :)
Prof. Pnin has such a sad-sweet story; entangled in clumsy whirlwind of the world, this Russian professor struggles to find a "home" or rather find himself at home in this alien world. His constant struggles with language (light humour/puns/light parody), societal/family relations and dignity, his young love and his clumsiness - overall, makes it a delightful read. With much details of Pnin's "small/simply" life we could see he was a much loved character. It was shocking and *very* impressive when I learnt Nabokov wrote Pnin and Lolita almost together. To have created someone like Pnin and Humbert, at the same time and with so much character detail, makes me love Nabokov even more. :)
jannak's review against another edition
4.0
Good book of short stories by Nabokov. A quick read. Originally published as serials in the New Yorker.
sandrashort's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
amyingomar's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
arosef1's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
melissatrostel's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
savaging's review against another edition
4.0
The plot of Pnin doesn't gallop along like it does in Lolita, and is too tied into the petty drama of academics. But then, unlike Lolita, you can enjoy this book without worrying that you're a terrible person for snorting with laughter while you're reading about the sexual abuse of a minor. So there's that.
The book opens like a lark of word-play and joke but by the end of chapter 2 when Pnin's sobbing "I haf nofing left, nofing, nofing!" I was inconsolable. In fact all of Chapter 2 was maybe perfect. Pnin's a failure -- the best kind. Pnin's what Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin should have been before he was marred by too much perfection.
"Pnin slowly walked under the solemn pines. The sky was dying. He did not believe in an autocratic God. He did believe, dimly, in a democracy of ghosts. The souls of the dead, perhaps, formed committees, and these, in continuous session, attended to the destinies of the quick."
The book opens like a lark of word-play and joke but by the end of chapter 2 when Pnin's sobbing "I haf nofing left, nofing, nofing!" I was inconsolable. In fact all of Chapter 2 was maybe perfect. Pnin's a failure -- the best kind. Pnin's what Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin should have been before he was marred by too much perfection.
"Pnin slowly walked under the solemn pines. The sky was dying. He did not believe in an autocratic God. He did believe, dimly, in a democracy of ghosts. The souls of the dead, perhaps, formed committees, and these, in continuous session, attended to the destinies of the quick."
alexandre_rl's review against another edition
4.0
Roman à saveur légèrement autobiographique et premier succès de Nabokov aux États-Unis. Plein d’humour, de compassion et d’intelligence. Une écriture agréable, un style direct et une construction romanesque assez traditionnelle et facile d’accès. Très bon.