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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
sad
fast-paced
Another reason to read all Vladimir Nabokov works!
What a brilliant and haunting short story. Love it!
"What he really wanted to do was to tear a hole in his world and escape."
"This, and much more, she accepted-for after all living did mean accepting the loss of one joy after another, not even joys in her case-mere possibilities of improvement. She thought of the endless waves of pain that for some reason or other she and her husband had to endure; of the invisible giants hurting her boy in some unimaginable fashion; of the incalculable amount of tenderness contained in the world; of the fate of this tenderness, which is either crushed or wasted, or transformed into madness; of neglected children humming to themselves in unswept corners; of beautiful weeds that cannot hide from the farmer and helplessly have to watch the shadow of his simian stoop leave mangled flowers in its wake, as the monstrous darkness approaches."
What a brilliant and haunting short story. Love it!
"What he really wanted to do was to tear a hole in his world and escape."
"This, and much more, she accepted-for after all living did mean accepting the loss of one joy after another, not even joys in her case-mere possibilities of improvement. She thought of the endless waves of pain that for some reason or other she and her husband had to endure; of the invisible giants hurting her boy in some unimaginable fashion; of the incalculable amount of tenderness contained in the world; of the fate of this tenderness, which is either crushed or wasted, or transformed into madness; of neglected children humming to themselves in unswept corners; of beautiful weeds that cannot hide from the farmer and helplessly have to watch the shadow of his simian stoop leave mangled flowers in its wake, as the monstrous darkness approaches."
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt
dark
sad
fast-paced
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story opens into the ever changing atmosphere in an old couples world, who are happening to visit their son in a sanatorium, being admitted because of him interpreting all the signs and symbols around him to be in relation to him. The old couples flailing body, their dependence on a relative for financial support, and having escaped so many tragedies, has a specific that cannot fail to empathize their reader.
Like all short stories, with their either profound or satirical sense, this one delves in both.
Like all short stories, with their either profound or satirical sense, this one delves in both.
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
There are few things I love quite like Nabokov's philosphy toward literature and literary analysts.
This short story itself is a long drawn out joke and either you're in on the joke, or unfortunately are the joke. And I love that clever zinger of this short story. Yet the tone and plotline refuses to be anything other than dismal, dark, and sad, which is part of the brilliance in the writing. It's not wholly necessary, but being acquainted with Nabokov himself gives the short an extra layer.
The "signs and symbols" any other author might use for meaning and context, Nabokov places throughout his story like bait, waiting to see if the reader will see through it or fall into their own "Referential Mania"; asking who will fall prey to a bird drowning in a puddle, downpouring rain, and a wrong number. I find it brilliant the way he describes pointedly the entire premise of literature analysis as the son's ailment.
So who calls the third time? Honestly, it doesn't matter. The characters are nothing more than black ink on white paper and cease to exist the moment Nabokov stops writing. (An attitude and explaination I will only accept out of this author)
For a seemingly sad narrative, it is so tongue-and-cheek and really continues to solidify my obsession with Nabokov
This short story itself is a long drawn out joke and either you're in on the joke, or unfortunately are the joke. And I love that clever zinger of this short story. Yet the tone and plotline refuses to be anything other than dismal, dark, and sad, which is part of the brilliance in the writing. It's not wholly necessary, but being acquainted with Nabokov himself gives the short an extra layer.
The "signs and symbols" any other author might use for meaning and context, Nabokov places throughout his story like bait, waiting to see if the reader will see through it or fall into their own "Referential Mania"; asking who will fall prey to a bird drowning in a puddle, downpouring rain, and a wrong number. I find it brilliant the way he describes pointedly the entire premise of literature analysis as the son's ailment.
So who calls the third time? Honestly, it doesn't matter. The characters are nothing more than black ink on white paper and cease to exist the moment Nabokov stops writing. (An attitude and explaination I will only accept out of this author)
For a seemingly sad narrative, it is so tongue-and-cheek and really continues to solidify my obsession with Nabokov
It was the perfect amount of strangeness for me. I generally love weird and scary short stories, so this is definitely one of my favourites. I can't write an extensive review, because it's been a long time since I read it, but I do remember loving it.