Most helpful customer reviews
|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
The first of Nabokov's masterpieces., May 12 2004
This novel was first published, in Russian, in 1936 and first translated into English in 1937. When Nabokov prepared the novel for re-publication in 1965, he not only spruced up the translation but extensively revised the text. And although I cannot personally atest to the differences (since I cannot read Russian and do not have access to the earlier translation) between the various editions, it is not difficult to surmise that this later edition must be superior. After all, Nabokov had written The Gift, Lolita and Pale Fire before revising this edition and the literary lessons learned from those novels are incorporated here. This novel reads as if it were one of Nabokov's later works. But before too much emphasis is placed on the revision and all of its pluses, it has to be remembered that it was the original work that served as the seed for Nabokov's revision. With the creation of Hermann, Nabokov created his first major character and traces of this character can be seen in the later creations of Humbert Humbert and Kinbote.The plot is not particularly original, a fact not lost on Nabokov who makes playful allusions to works of Dostoyevski (who is referred to as "Old Dusty"), particularly Crime and Punishment and The Double; as well as the fact that the theme of egotistic perception and self-delusion had already been treated by Nabokov in an earlier novel, The Eye. But in this work the author seems to be really enjoying himself as he sardonically pulls the strings on his marionette-like characters. There is Hermann, the dissatisfied chocolate manufacturer and aspiring author; his croquet ball-shaped wife, Lydia; her cousin, the down and out and hackneyed artist, Ardalion; and Hermann's "double", Felix. In this tale of crime as art, Nabokov has a bit of fun discoursing on the nature of art as made manifest by Hermann and Ardalion. Hermann sees himself as the omniscient artist-observer, superior to those about him, and able to create art even when plotting a murder. Ardalion is seen as a mediocre artist, painting still lifes and portraits, living off the charity of others and earning the constant derision of Hermann. However, Nabokov twists these various character traits into pretzel shapes as the all seeing Hermann cannot see that Ardalion has been carrying on a long time affair with his wife and that the hackneyed artist, Ardalion, exhibits more sense of human compassion (ingredients of the true artist) than Hermann (who seems himself as the true artist) could hope to possess. Nabokov is the stylistic master of modern English prose and his command of language in this novel, like all his works, is brilliant. In the past, many of Nabokov's characters are shade-like personages that flit across the pages of his books without leaving much trace of themselves, essentially playing second fiddle to his brilliant writing style. With the creation of Hermann, the first of a series of brilliantly conceived protagonists, it is obvious that Nabokov has made the leap from being primarily a prose stylist to a mature and brilliant novelist.
|
|
|
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth Reading, Dec 1 2003
The surface premise of "Despair" is simple; a rather disagreeable protagonist meets a vagabond who strongly resembles him (or perhaps does not resemble him at all). This inspires him to an elaborate, if rather obvious, plan involving switched identities, murder, insurance, and so on. The blood of the story is the interplay and contrast between his own internal picture of what is going on, and the picture that we, the reader, see of the perhaps realer reality that he is misperceiving. This isn't the perfect book; the middle is a bit too long, and a tad too much plot has snuck in. Still, if you like Nabokov; you should definitely read this novel.
|
|
|
3.0 out of 5 stars
lugubrious, turbid, yet occasionally funny, Nov 19 2003
Perhaps one of the marks of genius is that a writer produces works that are totally different from eachother. When I like a book by the Nab, I absolutely love it as masterpiece of quirkiness and bizarre obsessions, if always devoid of much normal human emotion. This book is truly different from anything else I know if his: the character is cold and calculating, quite uninteresting and lacking in charm and learning. Bored with his life and hating everyone in it, he is planing the "perfect crime" to liberate himself. While there are games within games - just how perfect is the crime? - this horrible guy simply appeared horrible and boring to me, and I never really enjoyed his stream of thoughts and plans. It is utter nihilism and, unlike socially concerned writers, there is no point to any of it. Recommended only for the most devoted of Nabokov fans.
|
|
|
Most recent customer reviews
|
by John Banville
by Knut Hamsun
by Vladimir Nabokov
