The Original of Laura
by Vladimir Nabokov
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Book Summary Information
Author: Vladimir NabokovPreface: Dmitri Nabokov
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2009-11-17
ISBN: 0307271897
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Knopf
Book Reviews of The Original of Laura
Book Review: A Fascinating Fragment
Summary: 4 Stars
As an admirer of Nabokov, I wish I could give this a higher rating. Unfortunately, it's not a book but rather a fragment of one.
We have an obese man blissfully oblivious to being cuckolded by his wife until the fact is driven home by a novel penned by another lover and he decides to obliterate himself by meditating on the process. None of the characters is fully realized and it's apparent Nabokov was a long way from completing the story.
Am I among those who wish it never had been published? No. A little is better than no Nabokov. The wit is present. The playfulness with language. The quirky character names. There's even a Hubert H. Hubert, reminding one of another character. Hopefully there's enough to interest those who haven't already to investigate his oeuvre. It's inspired me to read again some favorites.
As I writer, I also found it interesting to see the hand-written cards he used to compose his manuscript. It's obvious they are not a complete book but a sort of road map Nabokov used as he explored, changed and developed the novel already present in his mind. What a book it might have been had he lived to complete it is undoubtedly a far cry from what we are given.
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