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Terra Incognita (1931)

by Vladimir Nabokov(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0141196165 (ISBN13: 9780141196169)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Penguin Books

review 1: Intellectual playfulness - definitely a great description of these stories! Nabokov has a very unique turn of phrase sometimes, really as if he's painting with words. I only give this little book 3 starts because for me personally, they're not something to relax into and enjoy - they're portraits, snapshots, and I prefer an actual story (probably why I don't get on with short stories in general, but you never know what you'll find on new literary voyages). Give them a try, they're fast to read and a refreshing contrast with a lot of popular writing that's around today which is really more storytelling than literature.
review 2: Each of the three short stories in this volume are entrancing in their own way. "Terra Incognita" is a bizarre kaleidoscope world, "Spr... moreing in Fialta" has the graceful melancholy of old-fashioned black and white European films, and "The Doorbell" is a disorientating, grotesque portrayal of detached mother and son. The one thing that these stories all had in common however, was that they were beautifully written. Nabokov's writing is the style of writing that makes me feel like I've been transported to another world, pure poetry in prose. However, I wanted more, and I feel it is in his full-length novels that he really shines. This collection is something I will definitely return to though, again and again. I feel the stories would benefit from a single, undisturbed sitting. less

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