Vladimir Nabokov: The Gift

The novel "The Gift" is Nabokov's final and perhaps most perfect work written in Russian. At the heart of the novel is the life of Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev, a young Russian émigré in Berlin, his creative path, and his development as a writer. One is immediately struck by the parallels with Nabokov's own Berlin period and the beginning of his writing career under the pseudonym Vladimir Sirin. And although the author warns in the preface against comparing him with the protagonist, few readers can resist the game of "spot the ten differences." As in his other novels, Nabokov refracts reality, drawing parallels to his own life. Childhood in Russia, a warm relationship with his mother, the death of his father—all these motifs appear in the novel, with only the scenery changed. The novel also contains many parodies: Soviet critics, decadent émigrés, and writers contemporary to Nabokov all come under fire, but all the figures are encrypted. Thus, the deliberate refusal to compare reality and fiction in the preface is a secret invitation to look deep into the mirror reflections and try to unravel the novel "The Gift."

Author: Vladimir Nabokov

Pages: 480 (offset paper). Hardcover

Dimensions: 207x130x30 mm