[.ca] The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov (ISBN 0679729976)

From Amazon.com:
These stories, written between the early 1920s to the mid-1950s, reveal the fascinating progress of Nabokov's early development as they remind us that we are in the presence of a magnificent original, a genuine master. Edited by his son and translator, Dmitri Nabokov, this volume is a literary event.

This summary is worthless:
After I first read, Lolita, I was quite eager to find more stories by this amazing author. The only other Nabokov book sold by my local bookstore was The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov. I had no idea how *fantastic* each of these stories would be. He has taken a form of writing and completely made it his own. Every single one of them is superbly written. Even the less plot-driven ones stand out for their wonderful descriptions. Nabokov has a way of somehow bringing all of his subjects to life. So, in short, this is a great book for *anyone*. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

This is a perfect book.:
The stories in this book (there are about 65 of them) are for the most part very short. Some of my favorite are his earliest ones, they have been translated from the Russian by Nabokov's son, Dmitri, and they are semi-autobiographical, sweet and so beautiful. Included in this book are a few chapters from Nabokov's autobiography, "Speak, Memory" which were published independently as stories. I would also recommend "Speak, Memory" without reservations. It would be a good book to read after or before this one. They are both so wonderful. I can't imagine anyone not liking at least some of these stories, especially if you like the genre of short stories and if you are familiar with Nabokov's lucid, detailed prose. Some of them are briefer and sketchier, and some are more like small novels, some are auto-biographical, and some are like fairy-tales. All of the different kinds are good, even my least favorite stories in this vast collection have stuck in my mind. They are lovely. Everyone should own this book.

Realistic, Imaginative, Creative Stories Written by A Genius:
Vladimir Nabokov uses words like an artist uses paint on canvas ... you can see, feel, touch, and sense the stories on many levels. He uses words to control images, emotions, and the level of impact on the reader. "The written word" is his media. His stories provide gripping emotions, startling revelations, depths of experience, creative twists and turns of the plot ... leaving the reader flipping pages as fast as the mind can grasp the meaning what is read. Whether Nabokov is describing the deep, dark Russian soul or the generous, warm Russian heart, or mundane everyday experiences and scenes - he is a master psychologist who understands human behavior. While his subjects are primarily Russians or Russian emigres, he confines his writing to a unique time in history, about 75 - 80 years ago. Often, the settings are Russia, Germany, or other parts of Europe. The characters come from all walks of life: the aristocracy, the educated, rich landowners, students, ordinairy workers, shopkeepers, writers, and poor peasants. He sometimes contrasts their persona with a deep dark secret or desire.. He seldom leaves a stone unturned when describing the particular path they trod in life. The stories are so engaging and captivating, the characters, plot, settings are so realistic ... this reader wishes some of the stories would never end. You just know there is something yet remaining ... to reveal. Favorite stories, are "A Matter of Chance", in which a Russian waiter working in the dining ca of a German fast train, narrowly misses meeting his wife whom he has not seen in five years. Ironically, she loses her gold wedding ring, later found by a German waiter. The waiter reads the inscription but makes no connection to his co-worker. The Russian waiter unexpectedly gets off at the next stop. Read the story to find out ... the unexpected ending. Another favorite is, "Wingstroke", the most creative and imaginative story in the book. Kern is a young skier who falls in love with a mysterious young woman, Isabel. She is staying on the same floor of his hotel. One night Kern can not sleep, he tosses and turns due to thinking of her. He goes out into the corridor and sees the key in her door. He gingerly opens it and startles Isabel, who lunges toward the window and leaps ... As Kern is pondering this turn of events, in flies something huge, with wings. He wrestles with the creature and stuffs it in the wardrobe. Isabel returns and asks about it, knowing it flew in. Kern tells her where it is and returns to his room.. The next day, Isabel is expected to make a difficult jump. To discover what happened to "the creature", Isabel, and Kern ... you have to read the story. Another most appealing story is, "La Veneziana". The McGores area wealty couple who collect art. They acquired a beautiful portrait of a young woman which captured everyone's attention. After the guests play a game of croquet, they come inside to admire the portrait. It dawns on Simpson, a student, who was a friend of the family's son, that the portrait resembles Mr. McGore's wife. Yet, the painter was said to be Sebastiano Luciano, from the fifteenth century. To discover how and why this painting could resemble Mrs. McGore... one needs to read the story. In summary, the autor writes stories with imagination, creativity, substance, depth, unique perspective, and deep emotion. He explores human experiences from many angles. His stories are entertaining, educational, and deeply satisfying to read. Most highly recommended. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Nabokovian delights:
Having been a fan of Nabokov since LOLITA and PALE FIRE (the latter is especially good and a little neglected), I was fascinated to find THE STORIES OF VLADIMIR NABAKOV on Amazon. Translations, of course, always offer a delicate problem of who to credit or criticize for particular stylistic choices, but in this family project it's clear that these versions at least received the approval of the author. These tales are really expertly crafted gems, something akin to the Chopin "Preludes" in their remarkable conception and execution. Some of the more compelling ones come to mind: "Spring in Fialta," "A Forgotten Poet," and the autobiographical "Mademoiselle O" are but three that show a complexity of emotion that do not make you laugh and then cry but instead (something far more brilliant) laugh and cry at the same time. The reader embraces the realism of the stories and relies on it as a mean of understanding the events, only to discover that the realism incorporated in the stories is what helps Nabokov to fool the reader. I would also recommend another great collection of short stories by the author Jackson McCrae, called "THE CHILDREN'S CORNER." They're ever bit as riveting as the Nabokov and also have the ability to make us look at ourselves as much as the characters actually in the stories.

A wonderful book!:
The fabulous story called "A Forgotten Poet" is worth the entire price of admission here. VN must have laughed out loud when he first got the idea, chuckled heartily as he developed it, and hummed happily to himself as he wrote it down and polished it for publication. It is superb, and superbly funny. If you haven't read it, you owe yourself the pleasure! I would never imply that the rest of the stories in this volume can be forgotten! In fact, they all seem to be nearly as good as the one I just mentioned. Look upon this book as a box of delicious chocolates which you have not yet unwrapped.... and then unwrap and savor them at your leisure. Highest possible recommendation!