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3.0 out of 5 stars
Nabokov's Second, Jul 10 2004
Nabokov's second novel, his brightest and lightest of the lot, is regarded by some as being one of the weaker links in the author's ouvre.
The plot here is pretty banal (a bland, country boy Franz falls in love with the wife of his rich uncle who lives in Berlin and before you know it Franz and his aunt are pathetically planning the murder of the middle-man). Nabokov pokes some fun at the story of Madame Bovary and offers somewhat of a parody.
As usual though, the plot here takes backstage to the form and style of writing and Nabokov does not disappoint; the prose is beautiful and enchanting (minus some laughable sexual innuendos and so on) and makes the novel worth reading.
While I do not think that this counts among Nabokov's strongest works, I still enjoyed it and certain images from the book have and will remain with me (especially the last couple of chapters, filled with the imagery of azure beaches and wide open skies). Nabokov does make an 'appearance' in the novel (a la Hitchcock), along with his wife, as the couple with whom Franz becomes somewhat obsessed at the seaside resort (look for mention of the butterfly net).
This is a relatively light and accessible Nabokov read, recommended for shiny summer days.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Lolita, by any means, but still a good read, Jul 2 2004
Franz has come to Berlin for a job. His mother's wealthy cousin (Dreyer) has kindly agreed to take him on in his department store. What neither Dreyer nor Franz has considered is that Mrs. Martha Dreyer would also kindly consent to take him on as her lover. It takes a little planning on her part, but finally the shy, lanky Franz becomes her secret lover, her ticket to a world without Dreyer.King, Queen, Knave is a typical triangle love story. And yet, it's not. Nabokov, even in this early novel, has an excellent feel for human beings, what makes them do what they do and just how much they can stand. Franz and Martha's relationship moves from the sublime to the detestable for Franz, while he becomes a lifeline to Martha. Dreyer, seeing good in all the world, is easily duped--though easily duping Martha on the side. As with Lolita, the plot is not all that great, and I can't truly say I "enjoyed" the book. But nonetheless, I couldn't stop reading it. I had to continue watching the dynamics change between the King, the Queen and the Knave and see just how the hand was played out.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
a mere preview, May 1 2004
By A Customer
the attraction of this book is the sense of things to come with regards to the author's future books. whereas "mary", nabokov's first novel, emits a warm autobiographic glow, "king, queen, knave" does an about face to depict a world utterly distant and alien from the author's personal milieux. the result is an abstract world not quite as pure and fantastic as the one created in "lolita", indeed the former pales greatly by comparison, but an abstract world which is nonetheless plausible and artistically pleasing. there are two unforgettable images in this novel. one adumbrates nabokov's penchant for condemning cruelty by having his characters indulge in it, that very cruelty, with inexcusable zest and relish; while the other gives us a taste of the author's wicked sense of humor. they are: marthe's repeated beatings and/or chastisements of tom, the family dog, and the pathetic fate of the monkey, a gift for marthe from dreyer before their marriage, which burns itself trying to light a match. these two images, which are patented nabokov, are just the tip of the iceberg in a body of work abrim with unforgettable images.
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