Praise for The Secret History

"A penetrating analysis certain to compel a major reassessment of the Nabokov canon."
— starred review, Booklist

"...a brilliant examination that adds to the understanding of an inspiring and enigmatic life."
— starred review, Kirkus

"Highly recommended for all Nabokov fans..."
— starred review, Library Journal

"Certainly the most remarkable and insightful book on Vladimir Nabokov in many years."
— Michael Maar, author of Speak, Nabokov and The Two Lolitas

"... an intriguing and provocative new take on one of the giants of modern American letters."
— Adam Hochschild, author of To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion: 1914-1918 and other books

"... a feat of fascinating literary detective work ..."
— Christopher Goffard, author of You Will See Fire and Snitch Jacket

"A wide-ranging introduction to Nabokov's life and work as well as a game-changer for those readers who thought they knew his writing cold."
— Steven Belletto, author of No Accident, Comrade: Chance and Design in Cold War American Narratives (Oxford U. Press)

Archive for the "News" Category

Foreign publishers for The Secret History; more grim news out of St. Petersburg

On the “exciting news” front, The Secret History is now slated for publication in Russia and Poland. Russian house Sindbad Publishers Limited and Polish publisher Muza will be translating and printing the book in their respective countries. I’m particularly grateful that publishers in places so profoundly bound up with Holocaust and Gulag tragedy are interested in Nabokov’s […]

First-edition Nabokov poems up for sale

Before he wrote Lolita, before he came to America, before he met his wife Véra, Vladimir Nabokov was first and foremost a poet. And now the poetic at heart with four-figure pocket change might just be able to acquire a first edition of Gornii put (The Empyrean Path), a collection of Nabokov’s early poetry published […]

Nabokov Museum in St. Petersburg attacked by vandals

Several news outlets are reporting that a group calling itself the “St. Petersburg Cossacks” may be responsible for vandalism that broke a window of the Nabokov Museum in St. Petersburg. A note inside a bottle found in the museum warned the staff of “God’s wrath.” Some conservative Russians see Lolita as propaganda for pedophilia and […]

Appearing here in the New Year

This week we’re rolling out several new pages on the site (the other part of “we” being the design superpowers of Mackenzie McCluer). You’ll see posts running on this home page, with everything from basic Nabokov background information to guest pieces and new historical tidbits about the man and his century. I’m classifying the posts […]