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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Welcome to Nabokov’s world of mirrors, unrealities, dreams and unreliable narrators!
I do not exist: there exist but the thousands of mirrors that reflect me. With every acquaintance I make, the population of phantoms resembling me increases. Somewhere they live, somewhere they multiply. I alone do not exist.
The story begins with our narrator, a Russian émigré in Germany, shooting himself for reasons yet unknown to us.
My whole defenseless being invited calamity. One evening the invitation was accepted.
As the story unravels, it becomes apparent that our unnamed narrator is obsessed with an individual by the name of Smurov.
Smurov is elusive but ever present. He is mysterious and every other character in our story has different opinions of him.
Who is Smurov and why does our narrator constantly talk about him?
It is frightening when real life suddenly turns out to be a dream, but how much more frightening when that which one had thought a dream—fluid and irresponsible—suddenly starts to congeal into reality.
I do not exist: there exist but the thousands of mirrors that reflect me. With every acquaintance I make, the population of phantoms resembling me increases. Somewhere they live, somewhere they multiply. I alone do not exist.
The story begins with our narrator, a Russian émigré in Germany, shooting himself for reasons yet unknown to us.
My whole defenseless being invited calamity. One evening the invitation was accepted.
As the story unravels, it becomes apparent that our unnamed narrator is obsessed with an individual by the name of Smurov.
Smurov is elusive but ever present. He is mysterious and every other character in our story has different opinions of him.
Who is Smurov and why does our narrator constantly talk about him?
It is frightening when real life suddenly turns out to be a dream, but how much more frightening when that which one had thought a dream—fluid and irresponsible—suddenly starts to congeal into reality.
A great short story. He's just a master storyteller <3
2 ☆ - The beginning was funny but I quickly got bored.
Still this is one of Nabokov's first books, so I'm hopeful his later work is better
Still this is one of Nabokov's first books, so I'm hopeful his later work is better
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
funny
Went down a lot easier that I initially thought. Very funny
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced