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Vladimir Nabokov Quotes

Novelist

Russian-born American novelist, best known for his novel 'Lolita'. Nabokov is renowned for his unique literary style and profound use of language and symbolism.

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All Writing Art Ifs Love Mind World Book May Should Thinking Men Two Heart Life Literature Past Knows Littles Lolita Matter

Famous Vladimir Nabokov Quotes

“The dining-room was curiously impersonal, like all places where people eat,—perhaps because food is our chief link with the common chaos of matter rolling about us.”

Matter Food Eating Chaos Dining Material Nabokov

Book:The Real Life of Sebastian Knight

Source: The Real Life of Sebastian Knight

“I do not see any essential difference between abstract and primitive art. Both are simple and sincere. Naturally, we should not generalize in these matters: It is the individual artist that counts.”

Should Art Matter Artist Individual Differences Simple Essentials Abstract Sincere Primitive

Book:Strong opinions

Source: Strong opinions

“All my life I have been a poor go-to-sleeper. No matter how great my weariness, the wrench of parting with consciousness is unspeakably repulsive to me.”

Has Beens Matter Poor Consciousness Insomnia Parting Weariness Sleepers Wrenches

Book:The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov

Source: The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov

“I think it is all a matter of love.”

Thinking Love Matter

Book:Strong opinions

Source: Strong opinions

“I was also supposed to quiz my various companions on a number of important matters such as nostalgia, fear of unknown animals, food fantasies, nocturnal emissions, hobbies, choice of radio program, changes in out look and so forth.”

Looks Important Matter Choices Animal Numbers Fantasy Program Radio Various Nostalgia Companion Hobbies Emissions Fear Of The Unknown Nocturnal Quiz Animal Food

Author:Vladimir Nabokov

“Treading the soil of the moon, palpating its pebbles, tasting the panic and splendor of the event, feeling in the pit of one's stomach the separation from Terra-these form the most romantic sensation an explorer has ever known . . . this is the only thing I can say about the matter. The utilitarian results do not interest me.”

“And yet I am happy. Yes, happy. I swear. I swear that I am happy...What does it matter that I am a bit cheap, a bit foul, and that no one appreciates all the remarkable things about me-my fantasy, my erudition, my literary gift...I am happy that I can gaze at myself, for any man is absorbing-yes, really absorbing! ... I am happy-yes, happy!”

Men Doe I Can Matter Bits Fantasy Appreciate Remarkable Swear Foul Absorbing Does It Matter Erudition

Author:Vladimir Nabokov

“I think it is all a matter of love: the more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it is.”

Thinking Love Matter Memories Stronger Stranger Infatuation Recollection

Book:Strong opinions

Source: Strong opinions

“All my stories are webs of style and none seems at first blush to contain much kinetic matter.”

Firsts Matter Stories Seems Style

Author:Vladimir Nabokov

“The general impression is that fifteen year-old Dolly remains morbidly uninterested in sexual matters, or to be exact, represses her curiosity in order to save her ignorance and self-dignity.”

Years Self Matter Order Ignorance Dignity Remains Curiosity Impression Fifteen Fifteen Years Uninterested Fifteen Years Old

Book:The Annotated Lolita: Revised and Updated

Source: The Annotated Lolita: Revised and Updated

“Beauty plus pity-that is the closest we can get to a definition of art. Where there is beauty there is pity for the simple reason that beauty must die: beauty always dies, the manner dies with the matter, the world dies with the individual.”

World Art Matter Reason Dies Individual Simple Definitions Pity Plus Closest

Book:Lectures on Literature

Source: Lectures on Literature

“I adore you, mon petit, and would never allow him to hurt you, no matter how gently or madly.”

Matter Hurt Adore Adore You I Adore You

Book:Ada or Ardor

Source: Ada or Ardor

“Whenever I start thinking of my love for a person, I am in the habit of immediately drawing radii from my love - from my heart, from the tender nucleus of a personal matter- to monstrously remote points of the universe. Something impels me to measure the consciousness of my love against such unimaginable and incalculable things as the behaviour of nebulae (whose very remoteness seems a form of insanity), the dreadful pitfalls of eternity, the unknowledgeable beyond the unknown, the helplessness, the cold, the sickening involutions and interpenetrations of space and time.”

Source: Speak, Memory: A Memoir

“I cannot help feeling there is something essentially wrong about love. Friends may quarrel or drift apart, close relations too, but there is not this pang, this pathos, this fatality which clings to love. Friendship never has that doomed look. Why, what is the matter? I have not stopped loving you, but because I cannot go on kissing your dim dear face, we must part, we must part.”

Looks May Matter Helping Feelings Faces Goes On Kissing Relation Dear Doomed Quarrels Loving You Friendship Love Pathos Fatality

Book:The Real Life of Sebastian Knight

Source: The Real Life of Sebastian Knight

About the Author

Born: April 22, 1899
Died: July 2, 1977
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 535

Books & Sources

LolitaRelated source material

Pale fireRelated source material

The Annotated Lolita: Revised and UpdatedRelated source material

Strong opinionsRelated source material

PninRelated source material

The Stories of Vladimir NabokovRelated source material

Lectures on Russian LiteratureRelated source material

Lectures on LiteratureRelated source material

Bend SinisterRelated source material

Ada, or Ardor: A Family ChronicleRelated source material

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