jemsizzleton 's review for:

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

4.0

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This gets a 4 mostly because It is juxtaposed against Lolita, which is a full-on masterpiece, and I have also just reread it immediately before this book. Pnin has all the delicious sentences you expect of the author. The book lacks all the sinister qualities of Lolita, which is kind of a relief, as that stuff was perfect, but exhausting once you turn the last page. Pnin, the title character, is just kind of a lovable, almost pitiable, dope. The book is at times hilarious and everyone in the story feels like they were molded from a very clay intended to be the end of a joke—with academic life being the thing we are laughing at most here. A cute story that is often gorgeously put, but isn’t the kaleidoscope of feelings that Lolita is.