Reviews

The Gift by Vladimir Nabokov

motifenjoyer's review

challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective

5.0

"The most enchanting things in nature and art are based on deception."

Folks, he's done it again! Well, not really again, since this was written before the most famous of his works, but still--what a masterpiece! I will say that if you are planning to read this, be aware that it has a lot of references to previous Russian literature (as it was Nabokov's last book originally written in Russian), so it might be confusing if you aren't very familiar with that.

casparb's review

unspeakably russian I love it

you'd better come equipped with your Cambridge history to russian lit because guess what we're getting niche
much love thank you so much ciel !

jzelman's review

challenging funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

rachelhelps's review

3.0

A bildunsgroman of a gifted Russian poet living in Germany, which includes the character's biography of a real Russian author, Chernyshevski. The politics of the whole Chernyshevski stuff was over my head, and I think I might enjoy it more in a few years when I know more about Russian literature. It's not my favorite Nabokov novel, but I've only read it once.

"he had long since realized that he was incapable of giving his entire soul to anyone or anything: its working capital was too necessary to him for his own private affairs..."

ru_th's review against another edition

challenging 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? N/A

2.5

An odd constraint, the desire to say something important, silence, vague insignificant words. Love, to put it simply, repeats at the last parting the musical theme of shyness that precedes its first avowal.

arinnroberson's review against another edition

3.0

I absolutely adored and hated this book. Hence the three stars. Equally parts beautiful, Boring, confusing and entertaining

joshmcnally's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

spacetime03's review

“ought one not to reject any longing for one’s homeland besides that which is with me, within me, which is stuck like the silver sand of the sea to the skin of my soles, lives in my eyes, my blood, gives depth and distance to the background of life’s every hope? some day, interrupting my writing, i will look through the window and see a Russian autumn.” 

“oh, don’t look at me, my childhood, with such big, frightened eyes.”  

“the fierce ecstasy i would experience if only…if only what? what can i do with his soul? this is what kills me…i am fiercely in love with his soul — and this is just as fruitless as falling in love with the moon.” 

“with passionate impatience, he was already looking for the creation of something new, something still unknown, genuine, corresponding fully to the gift which he felt like a burden inside himself.” 

epicpinkfluffyunicorn's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

the beginning is so good but chapter 4 is so bad and the book begins dragging consequently. a very big letdown, esp since i liked pnin so much

cannibalpeach's review

i moved house and lost it somewhere lol