Nabokov and the Real World: Between Appreciation and Defense

(Paperback)

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From award-winning literary scholar Robert Alter, a masterful exploration of how Nabokov used artifice to evoke the dilemmas, pain, and exaltation of the human condition Admirers and detractors of Vladimir Nabokov have viewed him as an ingenious contriver of literary games, teasing and even outsmarting his readers through his self-reflexive arti

Reviews

"This essay collection assesses the stakes and real-world relevance of Nabokovs writing, from his lectures and short stories to his major novels. Its a great read if youre a Nabokov fan, or if youve ever wondered, Why did this guy write Lolita'" * Literary Hub *
"These clear and dazzlingly erudite essays offer a superb introduction to the writers life and work."---David Herman, Jewish Chronicle
"Robert Alters new book Nabokov and the Real World presents a fascinating study of the works of Vladimir Nabokov. . . . Alters Nabokov and the Real World provides an engaging analysis of Nabokovs robust body of work and artfully articulates how he weaves a tapestry of linguistic tools, literary devices, nuanced visual descriptions, and empirical classifications to create beautifully crafted stories that help us better to understand the complex spectrum of human existence."---Leonara Cravotta, American Spectator
"Alter is one of Americas most distinguished persons of letters. His primary task in Nabokov and the Real World is to dismantle the widely-echoed theory of critics who accuse Nabokov of playing an elaborate literary gamea set of stylistic maneuvers, mannered, overwrought and arch. Alter counters that Nabokov. . .used language to awaken readers to the dense, many-layered, multi-connected reality of which we are part."---David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
"Nabokov and the Real World is a wonderful contribution and . . . [a] beautiful collection."---Erik Eklund, Nabokov Online Journal

Author Bio

Robert Alter is professor of the Graduate School and emeritus professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His many books include The Pleasures of Reading in an Ideological Age, Imagined Cities: Urban Experience and the Language of the Novel, and Pen of Iron: American Prose and the King James Bible (Princeton). He lives in Berkeley, California.