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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Vladimir Nabokov is known for his mind-bending explorations of human consciousness and depravity. Though his later works often take precedence on reading lists, his 1965 novel The Eye showcases an early venture into the twist ending. After suffering a beating at the hands of his mistress's husband, our narrator attempts (and possibly successfully commits) suicide. Believing his recovery from the gunshot wound and all subsequent action to be the manifestations of his dying brain, he observes a group of Russian expats and attempts to learn more about the mysterious Smurov, who may be a spy. Though not formally inventive (think Despair more than Pale Fire), the use of an unreliable first-person narrator in The Eye allows for exploration of person and social identity in a way that Nabokov would deepen over the course of his life.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The prose in this book is so lovely to read the way nabokov describes the idea of falling in love with someone who won’t love you back but the longing and yearning you still have for them - I had to read those pages twice because it was written so well.