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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
A little novel by Vladimir Nabokov features Pnin, an immigrant of Russian origin and professor at an American university; he's an endearing, distracted, and funny character that most of those around him consider a half-failure. He receives many tiles during his life, which the narrator gives us an overview of him. Most of the novel shows us its interactions with academia, and the author takes the opportunity to describe and portray it. The main attraction is the writing of V. Nabokov, which is sensational.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
A loveable eccentric Russian man by the name of Timofey Pnin and the hilarious tales of his blunders. A professor of Russian language in the German department of his university, he doesn’t really seem to fit in anywhere he goes, but he is oblivious to that. He is clumsy and aloof and a little challenged with his English, but he is as likeable as any other character I’ve read.
Nabokov has a way with writing these incredibly long sentences and using such a sesquipedalian vocabulary for the most mundane things, that it makes the actual act of reading a large part of the fun. The prose is just so beautiful at times; it can also be a bit crass and a bit hilarious. I admit, I did have to make heavy use of a dictionary while I read this, but it felt worth it. I liked reading Lolita so long ago, and I really enjoyed this one; I’ll have to check out some more by Nabokov soon.
Nabokov has a way with writing these incredibly long sentences and using such a sesquipedalian vocabulary for the most mundane things, that it makes the actual act of reading a large part of the fun. The prose is just so beautiful at times; it can also be a bit crass and a bit hilarious. I admit, I did have to make heavy use of a dictionary while I read this, but it felt worth it. I liked reading Lolita so long ago, and I really enjoyed this one; I’ll have to check out some more by Nabokov soon.
4.5/5: The protagonist slightly reminds me of Michael from 'The Office', or maybe I am watching the series too much.
Prof. Pnin has such a sad-sweet story; entangled in clumsy whirlwind of the world, this Russian professor struggles to find a "home" or rather find himself at home in this alien world. His constant struggles with language (light humour/puns/light parody), societal/family relations and dignity, his young love and his clumsiness - overall, makes it a delightful read. With much details of Pnin's "small/simply" life we could see he was a much loved character. It was shocking and *very* impressive when I learnt Nabokov wrote Pnin and Lolita almost together. To have created someone like Pnin and Humbert, at the same time and with so much character detail, makes me love Nabokov even more. :)
Prof. Pnin has such a sad-sweet story; entangled in clumsy whirlwind of the world, this Russian professor struggles to find a "home" or rather find himself at home in this alien world. His constant struggles with language (light humour/puns/light parody), societal/family relations and dignity, his young love and his clumsiness - overall, makes it a delightful read. With much details of Pnin's "small/simply" life we could see he was a much loved character. It was shocking and *very* impressive when I learnt Nabokov wrote Pnin and Lolita almost together. To have created someone like Pnin and Humbert, at the same time and with so much character detail, makes me love Nabokov even more. :)
Good book of short stories by Nabokov. A quick read. Originally published as serials in the New Yorker.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated