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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
sad
medium-paced
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The last time he had tried to do it, his method had been, in the doctor's words, a masterpiece of
inventiveness; he would have succeeded, had not an envious fellow patient thought he was learning to fly - and
stopped him. What he really wanted to do was to tear a hole in his world and escape.
inventiveness; he would have succeeded, had not an envious fellow patient thought he was learning to fly - and
stopped him. What he really wanted to do was to tear a hole in his world and escape.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A short story written by Vladimir Nabokov. It is a short piece (just over 2000 words) but Nabokov's immense skill with words is nonetheless shown. Readers are welcomed into the solemn world of two parents coping with the life of having a mentally ill child by Nabokov's engaging writing style. Nabokov's depiction of the details of life are impressive and the pages flicker with Nabokov's poetic, well-crafted sentences.
I decided to sacrifice sleep to write this review in the middle of the night so you can probably tell that this short story made a pretty good impression on me. Reading this story made me feel like I found a gem - I will definitely read some of Nabokov's other works in the future.
I decided to sacrifice sleep to write this review in the middle of the night so you can probably tell that this short story made a pretty good impression on me. Reading this story made me feel like I found a gem - I will definitely read some of Nabokov's other works in the future.
An elderly couple go to visit their son in the sanitarium. The son is suffering from a psychosis that compels him to find meaning or signs in all objects and natural events. When they arrive, they are turned away because the son has just attempted suicide and they go home. Any further summary would give away too much, but the author juxtaposes the son’s psychotic obsession with signs and connections in his world and his parents apparent unawareness of possible signs on their journey there and back. Things come or seemingly come to a resolution when they are at home. I love the way Nabokov manages to paint such a vivid picture of the elderly couple using very few words, and I appreciate the way the story come to a close in such a way that the reader is left to provide the meaning. A very short but extremely interesting story.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There are some inspirational tracts within this piece but I think the ending doesn't seem to fit in too well.