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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Pnin is the most 'Russian' book of his I've read so far. It's centred about Russian lecturers. Many of the phrases in the book are then repeated in Russian in brackets, or Russian phrases are spoken and then translated into English. There's even parts where the phonetics of Russian are explained, the sounds they make. As well as that, Russian history is woven into the narrative here and there, which I found interesting. Nabokov is, currently, the only Russian writer I've read. Shocking. That will change in 2020, I hope.
The novel starts well. Pnin is on a train (the wrong train) and is worried about muddling his papers. Pnin doesn't know he's on the wrong train. Our narrator tells us, but Pnin is not immediately aware. Already, we feel for him, but we laugh too. The novel continues in a similar vein, but I did think the humour in that first part isn't quite reached again. It jumps about a bit, where Pnin lodges, who he meets, there's even a party where they all get drunk.
The most interesting part of Pnin is the narrator. We only find out near the end but through the whole book we ask ourselves, who is telling this story? They speak, briefly, in the first person but mostly it appears to be a study of Pnin and his character. Towards the end of the novel, things are revealed and the question of the narrator becomes even more interesting, even when we find out who it is. His identity then allows the reader to begin to question the novel as a whole and its validity. So, though Pnin is partly a comedy of sorts, a little like a Russian 'Lucky Jim', there is still some masterful use of literature and plotting. Nabokov is a skilled writer.
Speaking of the writing. This was not quite the level of 'Lolita', but I found it far better than 'An Invitation to a Beheading', which was disappointing. Some people I have met refer to Nabokov's writing as a little 'over-the-top' or 'flowery'. I like that sort of writing. It may be pretentious to some people but it excites me. This line, for example:
'It was a pity nobody saw the display in the empty street, where the auroral breeze wrinkled a large luminous puddle, making of the telephone wires reflected in it illegible lines of black zigzags.'
I'll throw in some more quotes I like now. Sadly as this is a library book I couldn't underline and scrawl in the margins so I've forgotten where most of the quotes I wanted to save are.
"Why not leave their private sorrows to people? Is sorrow not, one asks, the only thing in the world people really possess?"
(On Pnin going swimming, another lovely line) :
'Slowly swinging his tanned shoulders, Pnin waded forth, the loopy shadows of leaves shivering and slipping down his broad back.'
Maybe I should have started with this, but this is Pnin's introduction in the novel. Quite a wonderful character portrait, I think.
'Ideally bald, sun-tanned, and clean-shaven, he began rather impressively with that great brown dome of his, tortoise-shell glasses (masking an infantile absence of eyebrows), apish upper lip, thick neck, and strong-man torso in a tight-ish tweed coat, but ended, somewhat disappointingly. in a pair of spindly legs (now flannelled and crossed) and frail-looking, almost feminine feet.'
I already, at this point, liked Pnin.
The novel starts well. Pnin is on a train (the wrong train) and is worried about muddling his papers. Pnin doesn't know he's on the wrong train. Our narrator tells us, but Pnin is not immediately aware. Already, we feel for him, but we laugh too. The novel continues in a similar vein, but I did think the humour in that first part isn't quite reached again. It jumps about a bit, where Pnin lodges, who he meets, there's even a party where they all get drunk.
The most interesting part of Pnin is the narrator. We only find out near the end but through the whole book we ask ourselves, who is telling this story? They speak, briefly, in the first person but mostly it appears to be a study of Pnin and his character. Towards the end of the novel, things are revealed and the question of the narrator becomes even more interesting, even when we find out who it is. His identity then allows the reader to begin to question the novel as a whole and its validity. So, though Pnin is partly a comedy of sorts, a little like a Russian 'Lucky Jim', there is still some masterful use of literature and plotting. Nabokov is a skilled writer.
Speaking of the writing. This was not quite the level of 'Lolita', but I found it far better than 'An Invitation to a Beheading', which was disappointing. Some people I have met refer to Nabokov's writing as a little 'over-the-top' or 'flowery'. I like that sort of writing. It may be pretentious to some people but it excites me. This line, for example:
'It was a pity nobody saw the display in the empty street, where the auroral breeze wrinkled a large luminous puddle, making of the telephone wires reflected in it illegible lines of black zigzags.'
I'll throw in some more quotes I like now. Sadly as this is a library book I couldn't underline and scrawl in the margins so I've forgotten where most of the quotes I wanted to save are.
"Why not leave their private sorrows to people? Is sorrow not, one asks, the only thing in the world people really possess?"
(On Pnin going swimming, another lovely line) :
'Slowly swinging his tanned shoulders, Pnin waded forth, the loopy shadows of leaves shivering and slipping down his broad back.'
Maybe I should have started with this, but this is Pnin's introduction in the novel. Quite a wonderful character portrait, I think.
'Ideally bald, sun-tanned, and clean-shaven, he began rather impressively with that great brown dome of his, tortoise-shell glasses (masking an infantile absence of eyebrows), apish upper lip, thick neck, and strong-man torso in a tight-ish tweed coat, but ended, somewhat disappointingly. in a pair of spindly legs (now flannelled and crossed) and frail-looking, almost feminine feet.'
I already, at this point, liked Pnin.
The used copy of this book I own has the first chapter loaded up with some of the most asinine margin notes you could ever hope for and almost immediately sputters out in the second. The sixth chapter of the book begins with a funny observation of students making useless observations in the margins of books. It really doesn't get better than that.
Except it does, because you're reading this book.
Except it does, because you're reading this book.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
This is the third Nabokov book that I have read (along with Invitation to a Beheading and Lolita), and each one has been so incredibly different. Yet in all three, Nabokov demonstrates his unique playfulness and mastery of the English language. It's almost annoying how much more eloquent he is in his third(?) language than I will ever be in my first (and only).
Chapter 5, with the descriptions ofPnin's first love who died in the Holocaust was by far the best part of the book. It was also incredibly entertaining to witness the intrigue and silly infighting rampant in academia displayed with so much humor. I think this would be a wonderful book for a reader to get a taste of Nabokov's style before jumping into one of his more challenging works, and I'd really recommend this book to someone before they try Lolita (just to get a sense of the wordplay/style of the author).
Chapter 5, with the descriptions of
I probably didn't understand 50% of this book what with French, German and Russian sentences and the mention of historical political and art figures. But I still really liked it! I wanted to read Nabakov but didn't think Lolita was the book to start with. This one was clean and interesting and I sympathized with Pnin. Nothing even happens but I still couldn't stop reading!
Hilarious, though with sadness. Nabokov is absolutely brilliant with language and descriptions, just pure genius.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
A deep character study, as much as it is a novel. Some sharp observations on the life of the emigree, and US collage campus culture in the early-50s. Enjoyable.
A great novella, both sympathetic and ironic, with just enough slippery auto-fiction to give everything a nice sense of verisimilitude. Nabokov is good.