Home / Quotes / Quote by Vladimir Nabokov

Quote by Vladimir Nabokov

“A creative writer must study carefully the works of his rivals, including the Almighty. He must possess the inborn capacity not only of recombining but of re-creating the given world. In order to do this adequately, avoiding duplication of labor, the artist should know the given world.”

Author

Vladimir Nabokov

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. more

“The social or economic structure of the ideal state is of little concern to me. My desires are modest. Portraits of the head of the government should not exceed a postage stamp in size. No torture and no executions. No music, except coming through earphones, or played in theaters. Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of art.”

“I have no ear for music. When I attend a concert, I endeavor gamely to follow the sequence and relationship of sounds but cannot keep it up for more than a few minutes. Visual impressions, reflections of hands in lacquered wood, a diligent bald spot over a fiddle, take over, and soon I am bored beyond measure by the motions of the musicians.”

Hands Sound Minutes Musician Reflection Ears Woods Impression Spots Bored Visuals Endeavor Concerts Sequence Diligent Fiddle

Author:Vladimir Nabokov

“I don't read reviews about myself with any special eagerness or attention unless they are masterpieces of wit and acumen, and I never reread them.”

Attention Special Wit Reviews Masterpiece Eagerness Acumen

Book:Strong opinions

Source: Strong opinions

“Non-Russian readers do not realize two things: that not all Russians love Dostoievsky as much as Americans do, and that most of those Russians who do, venerate him as a mystic and not as an artist.”

Two Artist Realizing Reader Two Things Mystic

Author:Vladimir Nabokov

Quote by Vladimir Nabokov

Author

You May Also Like