About Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov, born on April 22, 1899, in St. Petersburg, Russia, and passed away on July 2, 1977, in Montreux, Switzerland, was a Russian-American novelist, poet, and critic. Renowned for his linguistic mastery and inventive storytelling, Nabokov is best known for his controversial and critically acclaimed novel “Lolita”. His works often blend intricate wordplay, psychological depth, and vivid imagery, establishing him as one of the 20th century’s literary greats.
454 Powerful Vladimir Nabokov Quotes to Inspire You
Here are 454 Powerful quotes by Vladimir Nabokov on various topics to inspire you.
2. “Looking down at her fingernails, she also asked me had I not in my family a certain strange strain. I countered by inquiring whether she would still want to marry me if my father’s maternal grandfather had been, say, a Turk.”
Vladimir Nabokov
Family Strains, Social Questions, Marriage Decisions, Inquiry, Relationships, Humor
12. “Who cares,′ cried Van, ‘who cares about all those stale myths, what does it matter – Jove or Jehovah, spire or cupola, mosques in Moscow, or bronzes and bonzes, and clerics, and relics, and deserts with bleached camel ribs? They are merely the dust and mirages of the communal mud.”
Vladimir Nabokov Stale Myths, Van's Cry, Communal Mud, Myths, Religion, Reflections
19. “Where is the happiness, the sunshine, where are those thick skittles of wood which crashed and bounced so nicely, where is my bicycle with the low handlebars and the big gear? It seems there’s a law which says that nothing ever vanishes, that matter is indestructible; therefore the chips from my skittles and the spokes of my bicycle still exist somewhere to this day. The pity of it is that I’ll never find them again – never.”
Vladimir Nabokov Happiness Lost, Indestructible Matter, Nostalgic Regret, Memories, Loss, Philosophy
20. “When I receive a new novel from a hopeful publisher – “hoping that I like the book as much as he does” – I check first of all how much dialog there is, and if it looks too abundant or too sustained, I shut the book with a bang.”
Vladimir Nabokov Publisher Hope, Dialogue Check, Novel Critique, Writing, Authors, Books
23. “With the help of the janitor he screwed on to the side of the desk a pencil sharpener – that highly satisfying, highly philosophical implement that goes ticonderoga-ticonderoga, feeding on the yellow finish and sweet wood, and ends up in a kind of soundlessly spinning ethereal void as we all must.”
Vladimir Nabokov Pencil Sharpener, Ethereal Void, Philosophical Implement, Objects, Philosophy, Reflection
26. “To be quite candid – and what I am going to say now is something I have never said before, and I hope that it provokes a salutary chill – I know more than I can express in words, and the little I can express would not have been expressed, had I not known more.”
Vladimir Nabokov Unexpressed Knowledge, Candid Confession, Wisdom Revelation, Knowledge, Expression, Introspection
29. “Let me repeat with quite force: I was, and still am, despite mes malheurs, an exceptionally handsome male; slow moving tall, with dark soft hair and a gloomy but all the more seductive cast of demeanour.”
Vladimir Nabokov Handsome Male, Seductive Demeanor, Confident Expression, Looks, Personality, Charm
41. “I have always had a number of parts lined up in case the muse failed. A lepidopterist exploring famous jungles came first, then there was the chess grand master, then the tennis ace with an unreturnable service, then the goalie saving a historic shot, and finally, finally, the author of a pile of unknown writings- Pale Fire, Lolita, Ada- which my heirs discover and publish.”
Vladimir Nabokov Muse Failing, Lined-Up Roles, Creative Backup, Creativity, Life, Roles
