Reviews

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

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gabe_reads's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

3.75

I was quite sad that the first chapter was my favourite. The rest of the book was good, but didn't capture that whimsy that I loved in the first. I liked Pnin, such a funny little guy. With his weird quirks and strange group of people (I'm not sure I can really call them friends?) who he hangs out with.

Something I loved throughout was Nabokov's writing. Incredibly fun and creative throughout, it really boosted my enjoyment of the book. Occasionally it got slightly too complex and elaborate for me, I will admit. I also liked how he played with the unreliable narrator.

There were also some interesting parallels with Straight Man, in terms of the mundane academic life and relationships with acquaintances who may or may not even like each other. I wonder if it was written with Pnin in mind at all.

coltyn's review

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4.0

A book about hundreds of near-misses. Really funny, easy read that makes me want to reread immediately. I feel like there’s so much going on here, sorry that’s stupid to say, but I feel like one read wasn’t enough for me to make sense of what the book is saying about/doing with language and translation and identity. This is such a bad review.