An autobiography revisited by vladimir nabokov paperback. V ladimir nabokov, the bilingual writer, has at one time or. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 255 pages and is available in paperback format. Oct 26, 2000 nabokovs speak, memory is a beautiful memoir, filled with little details and stories that are wonderfully told.
Vladimir nabokov began collecting lepidoptera at the age of seven. Speak, memory quotes by vladimir nabokov goodreads. Aug 30, 2011 originally published in 1951 as conclusive evidence, vladimir nabokovs luminous autobiography recalls the influences of his aristocratic russian upbringing including various governesses, family members, childhood friends and the beginnings of his lifelong enchantment with butterflies with tactile immediacy and wit. Vladimir nabokov taught at cornell university from 1948 to 1959. Speak memory is the first book of nabokovs that ive read listened to, that is and i must say im not disappointed.
Nabokovs speak, memory is a beautiful memoir, filled with little details and stories that are wonderfully told. Speak, memory, first published in 1951 as conclusive evidence and then assiduously revised in 1966, is an elegant and rich evocation of nabokovs life and times, even as it offers incisive insights into his major works, including lolita, pnin, despair, the gift, the real life of sebastian knigh t, and the defense. Petersburg in 1905 to a berliner emigre existence in the early days of world war two, to 1951 at the book s first. Speak, memory, first published in 1951 as conclusive evidence and then assiduously revised in 1966, is an elegant and rich evocation of nabokovs life and times, even as it offers incisive insights into his major works, including lolita, pnin, despair, the gift, the real life of sebastian knight, and the luhzin defense. Speak, memory was first published by vladimir nabokov. In speak, memory nabokov recalls numerous details of his privileged childhood, and his ability to recall in vivid detail memories of his past was a boon to him during his permanent exile, as well as providing a theme which echoes from his first book, mary, all the way to later works such as ada or ardor. Nabokovs lolita 1955 was ranked fourth in the list of the modern library 100 best novels. An autobiography revisited nabokov, vladimir, rudnicki, stefan. People in trains, who lay their newspaper aside, fold their silly arms, and immediately, with an offensive familiarity of demeanour, start snoring, amaze me as much as the uninhibited chap who cozily defecates in the presence of a chatty tubber, or participates in huge demonstrations, or joins some union in order to dissolve in it. I would say that one of the reasons why nabokovs work is so important rests in its title.
Nabokovs revised and extended edition appeared in 1966. Speak, memory is an autobiographical memoir by writer vladimir nabokov. Speak, memory by vladimir nabokov, 9780679723394, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Sep 14, 2010 literary artistry and a chilly persona imbue this classic memoir. Before i begin with my book summary, id like to start with a disclaimer. The book was originally published as conclusive evidence. The two books of memoirs before me, one by a russianborn author, now a citizen of this. Speak memory is the second edition of nabokovs autobiography, which he initially titled conclusive evidence. He was a finalist for the national book award for fiction seven times. Nabokov s revised and extended edition appeared in 1966. Speak, memory is the one nabokov work outside his finest novels the gift, lolita. Fifteen chapters were published individually 194850, mainly in the new yorker. Speak, memory by vladimir nabokov alltime 100 nonfiction. Speak, memory, first published in 1951 as conclusive evidence and then assiduously revised in 1966, is an elegant and rich evocation of nabokovs life and times, even as it offers incisive insights into his major works, including lolita, pnin, despair, the gift, the real life of sebastian knight, and the defense.
Speak, memory project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Unlike regular autobiographies it is not a traditional chronological sequence of dates and facts, but, rather, nabokovs memory of certain events thematically linked to the creation of himself as an artist and as the person that he himself is, at present moment of time when he is writing the book. It is a considerable revision of his first partial. With all of the backandforth in nabokovs autobiography, its easy to see why time could be construed as a major theme in speak, memory. From one of the 20th centurys great writers comes one of the finest autobiographies of our time. Vladimir nabokov once described speak, memory as a new type of autobiography, a scientific attempt to unravel and trace back all the tangled threads of ones personality. Complete summary of vladimir nabokovs speak, memory.
Literary artistry and a chilly persona imbue this classic memoir. A must read for nabokov fans, and for those yet to discover his talent. Pdf speak, memory book by vladimir nabokov free download. From one of the 20th centurys great writers comes one of the finest. Speak, memory is a novelistic memoir written by russianborn writer vladimir nabokov, published in 1951. Mar 23, 2016 a drawing by vladimir nabokov of the wing of a karner blue, a butterfly species that he discovered and named in 1944. There is, it would seem, in the dimensional scale of the world a kind of delicate meeting place between imagination and knowledge, a point, arrived at by diminishing large things and enlarging small ones, that is intrinsically artistic. Wonderfully written, nabokov is the lord of the perfect adjective. Speak, memory vladimir nabokov read online free books. But the book, which time magazine deemed one of the alltime 100 nonfiction books, is much more. Speak, memory, autobiographical memoir of his early life and european years by. Lolita looms so large over nabokovs literary legacy that the more quietly observed speak, memory is destined to lie in its shadow.
The two books of memoirs before me, one by a russianborn author. Speak, memory by vladimir nabokov speak, memory is an autobiographical memoir by writer vladimir nabokov. The main characters of this autobiography, memoir story are vladimir nabokov. Speak, memory covers nabokovs life from his childhood in an aristocratic family in prerevolutionary saint petersburg, through his time at cambridge university in england, to his life in the russian emigre community in paris and berlin. The insight that vladimir nabokov provides into the 1905 russian revolution, in his book speak, memory, sometimes merges with the general viewpresented, for example, by nicholas v. The book is dedicated to his wife, vera, and covers his life from 1903 until his emigration to america in. He was referring to the classic account by vladimir nabokov 18991977 of. A lyrically written testament to the meaning that exile has for an.
Free download or read online speak, memory pdf epub book. Nabokovs lolita 1955 was ranked fourth in the list of the modern library 100 best novels in 2007. Vladimir nabokov, butterfly illustrator the new yorker. Speak, memory is primarily concerned with nabokovs life prior to his emigration to america in 1940. His memoir, speak, memory, tells of his early life in russia. Vladimir nabokov, russianborn american novelist and critic, the foremost of.
Nabokovs sentences are absolutely magical in this book. The book includes individual short stories published between 1936 and 1951 to create the first edition in 1951. Speak, memory, autobiographical memoir of his early life and european years by vladimir nabokov. The book includes individual essays published between 1936 and 1951 to create the. This edition published by arrangement with the estate of vladimir nabokov.
This book examines nabokovs work and interests durring these years, from his poetry and prose, to criticism of literature and the visual arts, and writings on the humanities and science. Rather than just watching this summary, i would highly recommend reading the book discussed to fully benefit from it. The first edition of the novel was published in 1951, and was written by vladimir nabokov. Speak, memory by vladimir nabokov the 19th greatest. Nabokovs original suggestion of speak mnemosyne does the poetry of nabokovs prose more justice, however it was deemed unpronounceable and. An autobiography revisited covers thirtyseven of nabokovs first fortyone years, from august, 1903, to may, 1940. The book begins with a forewordslashdisclaimer, from nabokov himself. Speak, memory 1951 the most artistic of autobiographies, with nabokovs finest proseand since he has often been called the greatest prose writer in english or even in any language. But if nabokov had never written lolita indeed, if he had never written the novels mary, or pnin, or the real life of sebastian knight, or pale fire, or any of the poems or works of criticism that won him an international audiencethen he would still deserve. Although the two are identical twins, man, as a rule, views the prenatal abyss with more calm than the one he is heading for.
Why nabokovs speak, memory still speaks to us national. The english edition was retitled speak, memory, which sounded less like a mystery story and was on acceptable modification of nabokovs first choice of title, speak, mnemosyne, which his publishers persuaded him was commercially debilitating. Riasanovsky in a more traditional accountbut at many other times is totally unique, a product of nabokovs personal observations. And immediately there came flooding back to him a host of enchanting recollections of his comfortable childhood and adolescence, of his rich, liberalminded father, his beautiful mother, an army of relations and family hangerson and of grand old houses in st petersburg and the surrounding countryside in prerevolutionary russia. Library of congress cataloginginpublication data nabokov, vladimir vladimirovich, 18991977. But speak, memory, we learn in nabokovs foreword, wasnt the books first name. An autobiography revisited vintage international ebook. The first twelve chapters describe nabokovs remembrance of his youth in a quasiaristocratic family living in prerevolutionary saint petersburg and their country estate vyra near siverskaya.
376 215 1030 760 1278 819 709 880 1385 16 1470 744 436 731 892 262 1390 1358 601 1337 181 1391 879 380 1482 1465 1432 171 1370 1098 633 41