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A review by ejwenger
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
5.0
What a genius of prose. Nabokov's Pnin is admirable in his persistent mistakes, his clumsy love, his sad misfortune. After reading this, I did a bit of reading online and learned Nabokov wrote this at the same time he wrote Lolita (which was published AFTER Pnin). What a crazy contrast: the poor Professor Pnin and cruel Hubert Humphrey of Lolita.
Nabokov's eloquent descriptions furnish his plot with glorious backdrops. Squirrels scurrying about Pnin's life take on deeper meaning. An account of a room's arrangement turns into commentary about love. Small off-handed moments like the discussion between a Professor of the History of Philosophy and a Professor of the Philosophy of History add depth to these snap shots of life. Scattered with scenes of humorous confusion are allusions to the never far-off sadness of the world and the in life of these Russian expatriates whose memories of loss melt into their modern American lives.
Nabokov is a linguistic prodigy whose talent with words creates the pleasure that is this novel.
Nabokov's eloquent descriptions furnish his plot with glorious backdrops. Squirrels scurrying about Pnin's life take on deeper meaning. An account of a room's arrangement turns into commentary about love. Small off-handed moments like the discussion between a Professor of the History of Philosophy and a Professor of the Philosophy of History add depth to these snap shots of life. Scattered with scenes of humorous confusion are allusions to the never far-off sadness of the world and the in life of these Russian expatriates whose memories of loss melt into their modern American lives.
Nabokov is a linguistic prodigy whose talent with words creates the pleasure that is this novel.