You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
What a strange, funny book. Timofey Pnin is one of the oddest characters I've read about in a while, and maybe that's what made him so endearing and pitiful. I'd only read short stories by Nabokov before this, so I didn't have much to go on; Pnin was such a smart novel, though, that I'm curious about his other works. I liked how each of the seven chapters focused on a different point in Pnin's life and on his relationships with other people. The choice in narration was funny and kept the story from becoming stuffy, and it wasn't until toward the end where things began clicking into place as to the narrator's identity.
“If people are reunited in Heaven (I don’t believe it, but suppose), then how shall I stop it from creeping upon me, over me, that shriveled, helpless, lame thing, her soul?”
Тут, во-первых, присутствуют очерки о России, которую мы и они потеряли. Во-вторых, какие-то паззлы, игры в "найди Уолдо" — не знаю, где, если честно, не сильно и интересно; но сколько-то сюрпризов в книге определенно закопано. В-третьих — морисэшеровщина, непростые отношения персонажа с автором, достигающие гоголевского пафоса; Пнин делается практически Акакием Акакиевичем: "Оставьте меня, зачем вы меня обижаете". Но все и вместе и по отдельности легковесно, бездельно, непонятно, зачем и к чему. Умеет автор, но не могёт.
emotional
funny
sad
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
This is a deeply moving book. The first half sets itself up as comedy, but as you enter the back leg, Pnin, the oddball clown, has his interiority probed. The culmination of Pnin's story is a celebration of him, cut short by his downfall, and then an epilogue that staves off any closure. Nabokov's writing is sublime, and reading this made me excited to explore more of his prose.
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
The evolution of sense is, in a sense, the evolution of nonsense.
I am in love...with Nabokov and his sense of humour, his poetic and satirical style and for his creating unforgettable characters such as my poor, unfortunate, melancholic, proud, clumsy, blundering and lovable Professor Pnin. Pnin, whose Russian is music while his English is murder. Pnin, who wants to never remember the past...
I am in love...with Nabokov and his sense of humour, his poetic and satirical style and for his creating unforgettable characters such as my poor, unfortunate, melancholic, proud, clumsy, blundering and lovable Professor Pnin. Pnin, whose Russian is music while his English is murder. Pnin, who wants to never remember the past...
Hoewel ik dit boek in mei al vluchtig had uitgelezen, lag het nog klaar voor een rustigere herlezing. Ik ben blij dat ik dat gedaan heb.
Ontzettend geestig, goed geschreven.
Ontzettend geestig, goed geschreven.
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Couldn't finish it. Nabokov's use of words is truly uncanny, but I just couldn't care much for Pnin or the actual story line. I wanted to like it, but just couldn't.