Speak, Nabokov
On the eve of the controversial, posthumous publication of The Original of Laura, Michael Maar follows his critically acclaimed The Two Lolitas with a revealing new perspective on Vladimir Nabokov’s life and work. Hunting down long-hidden clues in the novels, and using the themes that run through Nabokov’s fiction to illuminate the life that produced them, Maar constructs a compelling psychological and philosophical portrait. Characteristically graceful and engaging, Speak, Nabokov offers a vital new perspective on the twentieth-century master.
Hardback, 160 pages
ISBN: 9781844674374
January 2010
$24.95 / £14.99
Reviews
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Michael Maar has mastered the art of deciphering Nabokov’s books.
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In this brilliant book on the life and work of Vladimir Nabokov, Michael Maar once more proves himself to be a literary detective.
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Bravely locates itself outside the mainstream of Nabokov studies by going into territory neither Nabokov nor Nabokov loyalists would approve.
Blog
Slavic Review praises Speak, Nabokov for pushing the boundaries of Nabokov studies
In the Summer 2011 issue of Slavic Review, Galya Diment bemoans the “share of stagnant conformity” in Nabokov studies and declares that challenging this conformity “is a healthy critical stance—especially if the challenge is grounded in a quest that is both critically reasonable and open-minded.”
This is Diment’s cue for Michael Maar’s Speak, Nabokov, a book that “bravely locate[s] [itself] outside the mainstream of Nabokov studies by going into territory neither Nabokov nor Nabokov loyalists would approve of.”
Discussions
Begin a discussionOther books by Michael Maar
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The Two Lolitas
by Michael Maar
A leading German scholar reveals the secret history of Nabokov's infamous novel.
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Bluebeard's Chamber
Germany's most gifted literary critic on the critical discussion of Thomas Mann.by Michael Maar