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Title: The Eye (Vintage International) by VLADIMIR NABOKOV ISBN: 0-679-72723-X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 05 September, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.18 (11 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: A slightly fractured house of mirrors.
Comment: Years ago, I was given Pale Fire by a friend, and for almost three months I read and re-read that wonderful creation and developed an admiration for Nabokov which has remained to this day. I am presently reading his early Russian works, and while they might not be on par with his later writings, they are definitely worth reading. He is a master of both the Russian (I assume this from the superb translation) and English languages and to read him is one of life's great pleasures.
The Eye, written in 1930, is concerned with the nature of identity and how the overly self-conscious individual is defined only by how he perceives himself seen by those around him. Although an interesting, gorgeously written book, and hinting at greater books to come, The Eye is the work of a young artist who has only partially honed his craft.
Rating: 5
Summary: Not his best, but essential
Comment: In later works, Nabokov mused on the nature of identity with sharper, more amusing, and more penetrating results. But this book, by my count, was his first lengthy foray into the subject. In Smurov, he created a character whose self-image is an attempt at an amalgamation of the Smurov's everyone who knows him sees. A fun meditation on the importance of the opinions of others and a compelling death story. Much more, of course. And, of course, beautiful, beautiful.
Rating: 3
Summary: fair to middling
Comment: This is not a great novella in my reading, but it has some of the Nab's typical themes: deception, living in the imagination that merges disturbingly with reality, and the simple bizarre. Sometimes I get tired of how many pathetic characters there are in Nabokov's novels and that was the case with this one; it is set among the emigre set perpetually mourning the loss of tzarist Russia, which is of limited interest. Moreover, for sticklers (and lovers) of Nabokov's inimitable style, this is a translated work and as with virtually all of the others, something is lost - I found it very flat, almost two dimensional.
Recommended tepidly, but true Nabokov devotees will probably like it.
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Title: Transparent Things (Vintage International) by VLADIMIR NABOKOV ISBN: 0679725415 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 23 October, 1989 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: Glory by VLADIMIR NABOKOV ISBN: 0679727248 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 05 November, 1991 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Mary: A Novel by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, Michael Glenny ISBN: 0679726209 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 November, 1989 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Laughter in the Dark (Vintage International) by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov ISBN: 0679724508 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 June, 1989 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Despair (Vintage International) by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov ISBN: 0679723439 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 May, 1989 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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