
The Meanest Things Vladimir Nabokov Said About Other Writers - samclemens
https://lithub.com/the-meanest-things-vladimir-nabokov-said-about-other-writers/
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Ptyx
"One can be a lover of Space and its possibilities: take, for example, speed,
the smoothness and sword-swish of speed; the aquiline glory of ruling
velocity; the joy cry of the curve; and one can be an amateur of Time, an
epicure of duration. I delight sensually in Time, in its stuff and spread, in
the fall of its folds, in the very impalpability of its grayish gauze, in the
coolness of its continuum. I wish to do something about it; to indulge in a
simulacrum of possession. I am aware that all who have tried to reach the
charmed castle have got lost in obscurity or have bogged down in Space."

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simonsarris
For a much better list, see: [http://wmjas.wikidot.com/nabokov-s-
recommendations](http://wmjas.wikidot.com/nabokov-s-recommendations)

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stochastic_monk
It’s more comprehensive in scope but much less in depth. Thank you for your
reference, but I would not prefer your source supersede the OP.

I’m glad to have both.

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cafard
In general when one writer says snotty things about another, it can simply
mean, "I don't see anything here that I can use." As for this list, it is
worth mentioning that Nabokov wrote a short book on Gogol, and gives him about
50 pages in the _Lectures on Russian Literature_.

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reptation
His criticisms of Dostoyesky do not sit well. I've read several of Nabokov's
books -- Lolita, Pale Fire, Speak Memory, The Defense, and Invitation to a
Beheading. The last 2 are highly recommended and in general the works
originally written in Russian are underrated.

Nabokov's character development and psychological penetration don't hold a
candle to Dostoyevsky's though.

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rsp1984
I don't have much opinion on literature but I am deeply opinionated on
classical music. I wonder if there's a similar list by a composer or music
critic about other composers of his/her time. That'd be an interesting read!

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ianamartin
Sir Thomas Beecham was by far the most savage critic that we have
documentation for.

Musicians have been giving each other shit for a couple of thousand years, but
most of it is people who are still famous talking shit about people who no one
now has heard of.

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paganel
You cannot say anything bad about Stendhal, you just can not. I can understand
his opinion on Balzac, because lots of people hate him for how right he was (I
personally love him), but Stendhal’s style was just out of this world.

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joostdevries
Typefying Hemingway with "bells, balls and bulls" is pretty funny.

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charlysl
Most dissapointing famous books IMHO:

3\. Lolita

2\. Catcher in the rye

1\. Anne Frank diary

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eludwig
When you are this great, I think you can cast some stones. I find his prose
achingly beautiful.

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hackerbrother
The Trump of literature.

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jjtheblunt
Hardly. Nabokov was amazing

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sizzzzlerz
Other than some English or Russian Lit classes, does anyone read his works
these days? I imagine they are like those of other Russian writers, dense
prose, too many characters, one thousand page door stops.

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et-al
_Pale Fire_ and _Lolita_ only have a handful of characters. If you have time
this summer, I recommend reading _Lolita_. It's more than just a novel about a
perverted obsession.

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jjtheblunt
Same with (Zaschita Luzhina) Luzhin's Defense / The Defense

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V-2
I also recommend "The Eye" and "Laughter in the Dark". My favourite writer
along with Kundera and Lem (does it give me away as a Central European?).

