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A review by greg_m
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
5.0
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.