N is for...Vladimir Nabokov

Moving on to the letter N for today and it's all about Vladimir Nabokov.







Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)
The first book I ever read by Nabokov was Pale Fire, a parody of detective fiction full of comic suspense, literary idolatry,and political intrigue that begins with a 999-line epic poem followed by the literary line-by-line breakdown of said poem in novel form.  But it's so much more than that.  It's genius.  Pure genius.  Vladimir Nabokov is a Russian-American novelist whose first nine novels were written in Russian.  He gained international notoriety through his English prose work.  His work, both fiction and non-fiction, has garnered him much success; he was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction seven times...but never won.  In addition to writing novels, Nabokov was also a university professor at such prestigious institutions as Wellesley College and Cornell University.  Oftentimes, Nabokov would act as his own translator for English and Russian copies of his work because he felt that others would botch it.  Throughout his work, you will find complex plots, heavy alliteration, linguistic playfulness, and clever wordplay.  He's a must-read, in my humble opinion :)

*Recommendation:  Lolita

Who are some of your favorite N authors?