Cannonball Read 13

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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cbr12bingo – white whale (and BLACKOUT!!!! now I if only I could blackout and forget that this book exists!)

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

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Lolita is absolutely vile, and I cannot be convinced otherwise. Yes, Humbert Humbert is the worst, and yes, we are supposed to know that he is a monster, but good lord this book is venerated from here to kingdom come as if it is the be all-end all of twentieth century literature. The edition that I picked up, which was published in 1997 as a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the original pressing- and is still the one in current re-prints and mass circulation, STILL […]

There’s a lovely saying: abroad, even the stars are tinny.

Think, Write, Speak: Uncollected Nonfiction by Vladimir Nabokov

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This is an odds and ends collection of Nabokov uncollected nonfiction published recently. It spans about 50 years or so of the writer’s life and is a bit hit or miss, but when it hits, it’s very good. You have to like Nabokov both as a writer and as a crank I think to really enjoy, and I will provide some highlights. It begins with early reviews and literary assessments. It’s important to remember that while he was absolutely brilliant and well-read, he’s not trained […]

No you can’t take a pistol and plug a girl you don’t even know simply because she attracts you.

Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov

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This is another early Russian novel by Nabokov. It was originally published with the name Camera Obscura, a title that I think better captures the spirit of the novel, but given Nabokov’s own involvement in this translation, he’s made his choice. In the novel we are thrust into the German film industry of the 1920s (that has some crossover with Hollywood, but is it’s own thing primarily). Albinus is a respected middle-aged filmmaker who meets a young would-be ingenue named Margot. He thinks he’s found the […]

Like if Blade Runner 2049 Sent You

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov

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I love it when a piece of art is so great that I don’t fully understand what it is, but I know it’s really good and really cool. The movie Blade Runner 2049 was like that for me. Director Denis Villeneuve always impresses and entertains, and his take on the Blade Runner world was great. I can’t wait to see what he does with Dune. While trying to learn more about Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, I learned that Nabokov’s Pale Fire was included overtly and subtle […]

Luzhin awoke fully dressed, even wearing his raincoat.

The Luzhin Defense by Vladimir Nabokov

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This is the young Russian Nabokov’s second or third novel, depending when you start counting. It’s about an aloof child clamoring for the attention of a father (a famous writer) who turns to chess on a whim at school and discovers that he is a grand master in the making. Now consumed with the life of a leading chess master, Luzhin finds himself unable to process the chaotic and unpredictable world outside the game and begins to inscribe the rules and structures of chess onto […]



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