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Violeta's Reviews > Pnin
Pnin
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Delightful! I can think of no other word to describe this book. It had me smiling on every other page and marveling at Nabokov’s wit. But of course the humor only thinly veils the underlying sadness.
Pnin is one of the most moving characters I’ve come across; infinitely amusing,stubborn, generous and poignantly insistent on protecting his own private universe.
Nabokov’s subtle satire of campus life is exquisite, as is his depiction of Russian émigré life. I read that he wrote Pnin simultaneously with Lolita, during the same road trip with his wife across America and that makes it all the more awe-inspiring. I particularly loved how the narrator sneaks in somewhere in the first half of the book, only to acquire a fully substantial presence by the end.
A Grand Master, indeed...
Pnin is one of the most moving characters I’ve come across; infinitely amusing,stubborn, generous and poignantly insistent on protecting his own private universe.
Nabokov’s subtle satire of campus life is exquisite, as is his depiction of Russian émigré life. I read that he wrote Pnin simultaneously with Lolita, during the same road trip with his wife across America and that makes it all the more awe-inspiring. I particularly loved how the narrator sneaks in somewhere in the first half of the book, only to acquire a fully substantial presence by the end.
A Grand Master, indeed...
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Reading Progress
May 1, 2020
– Shelved as:
to-read
May 1, 2020
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May 9, 2020
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Started Reading
May 11, 2020
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"Priceless quote: “It is nothing but a kind of microcosmos of communism- all that psychiatry. Why not leave their private sorrows to people? Is sorrow not, one asks, the only thing in the world people really possess?�
This book is pure delight!!!"
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This book is pure delight!!!"
May 17, 2020
– Shelved as:
classics
May 17, 2020
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Finished Reading
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Ilse
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rated it 5 stars
Aug 16, 2020 01:51AM
Lovely review of what still be my favourite novel by Nabokov, Violeta! Pnin is a moving and unforgettable character indeed...
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He sure is, Ilse! And,same as with Humbert Humbert, their nostalgia for all that is long-lost is so camouflaged and therefore ever more poignant.
Lovely review, Violeta. Pnin is a sweet and lovable character. I like your observation about how the humor masked a lot of Pnin's sadness.
Thank you Laysee! Yes, Nabokov is a master at doing that, maybe because he was first handedly using the technique for himself...
This is on my list for next year. Can't wait.
Anne wrote: "This is on my list for next year. Can't wait."I'm fairly sure you're going to love it, Anne!
Couldn’t agree more. Great book.
Thank you Violeta and Constantinos. I think so too. Thank you both for your encouragement. :))
Constantinos wrote: "Couldn’t agree more. Great book."Thank you Constantinos! You perfectly described what Nabokov did in your own review. I'm taking the liberty of google-translating it for our friend Anne:
A smoother entry into Nabokov's world. There are of course elements of the world woven in "Lolita", but mainly here we can feel Mr. Pnin. At least to understand him. Nabokov is on another level and I think this book is an excellent example of his genius.
Anne wrote: "Thank you Violeta and Constantinos. I think so too. Thank you both for your encouragement. :))"And your impressions will be eagerly awaited, Anne :))
Thank you, Violeta! You are so kind! I will try to use google translate in the future. :))Constantinos, I appreciate your review very much I need a smooth entry into Nabokov. Lolita is the only book of his which I have read. Somehow I forgot about him.
It's wonderful to have GR friends to remind me of books I want to read or reread.
Violeta wrote: "Anne wrote: "Thank you Violeta and Constantinos. I think so too. Thank you both for your encouragement. :))"And your impressions will be eagerly awaited, Anne :))"
Thank you, Violeta.
I'm reading it right now and your review does this book beautiful justice. I picked up on that pop-up narrator too and it's a good thing he came along, because to be honest the mise en bouche had left me disappointed a little, and a change in tone was quite welcome. It's been a smooth ride ever since and wit is right!
Thank you Charles! I know you are currently reading this and very much look forward to reading your thoughts. Pnin just killed me: the combination of humor and sorrow brakes my heart more than sadness alone...
Great review! I'm happy to hear you loved this. I think the American years really did bring the best out of him.
Steven wrote: "Great review! I'm happy to hear you loved this. I think the American years really did bring the best out of him."Thank you, Steven! Yes, the New World did act as a great source of inspiration on Nabokov- not that he badly needed any at any point in his career. And as you so aptly pointed out in your own review, Pnin was a source of joy for the author and his readers alike.
🌹 Should be a full bouquet, Violeta. Perfect.
Thank you so much, Lori. Coming from a thoughtful reader and reviewer such as yourself, I’m honored 💐
Did not know Nabokov was writing it at the same with Lolita. I agree with you that Pnin is one of his most moving characters! Nice review!
Vlad wrote: "Did not know Nabokov was writing it at the same with Lolita. I agree with you that Pnin is one of his most moving characters! Nice review!"Thank you, Vlad! I can't for the life of me remember where I read that it was written during the same road-trip Nabokov went on with his wife, but this is as close as I can come from a small search:
In the summer of 1953, when (on sabbatical leave from Cornell) he was drawing at last towards the end of this novel, Nabokov wrote a short story called "Pnin", about the comical misadventures of an expatriate Russian professor on his way to deliver a lecture to a women's club in a small American town. He created the new character partly as a relief from the dark obsessive world of Humbert Humbert - in his own words (in a letter to a friend) as a "brief sunny escape from [Lolita's] intolerable spell". But it is clear that the new project was also a kind of insurance against the difficulties that he expected to encounter in trying to publish a novel where a middle-aged man describes in lavish and eloquent detail his infatuation with and seduction of a 12-year-old girl.
It is from this article, if you care to read more:
My sentiments entirely Violeta, I couldn't agree with your comments more, even if I wrote your review myself! But of course the humor only thinly veils the underlying sadness.....how true is that? Wonderful stuff Violeta :))
Mark wrote: "My sentiments entirely Violeta, I couldn't agree with your comments more, even if I wrote your review myself! But of course the humor only thinly veils the underlying sadness.....how true is that? ..."So happy to see we're on the same page with this one, Mark! I find underlying sadness more heart-wrenching than the one that screams out on the page. And now off to your own 5-star review!
Beautiful review, Violeta. I have been meaning to revisit Nabokov. Since reading Lolita in college and not being able to get beyond the pediphile aspect (my young mind never even considered the fine prose), I have only read one short story by him, "Christmas". It was incredibly sad and beautiful. Thanks so much for the prompting.
Barbara wrote: "Beautiful review, Violeta. I have been meaning to revisit Nabokov. Since reading Lolita in college and not being able to get beyond the pediphile aspect (my young mind never even considered the fin..."Thank you very much, Barbara! I'm fairly sure your return to Nabokov will be rewarding. Pnin is a fine start into his wordplay, wonderful humor and nuanced story telling. No controversial themes either, but again I'm sure that you can better handle them the second time around. :)
Violeta, indeed this book was a delightful read. Thank you for your lovely review! 🌺
Kanti wrote: "Violeta, indeed this book was a delightful read. Thank you for your lovely review! 🌺"It took some time to read this comment, but I am glad this was an enjoyable read for you, Kanti. Thank you for your kind words!
