I've read Lolita, what else by him is essential?
just Pale Fire but you are probably going to want to read more after that anyway
>>7865312
>Essential
Pale Fire
Ada or Ardor
Speak, Memory
>Meme
Strong Opinions
>Secondary
Rest of his works
Be aware that being "meme" or "secondary" does not imply bad quality. Strong Opinions is a meme because it's the book from which the listing of his recommendations was taken; his other novels are secondary because they are not as essential as the ones mentioned above. His short stories are decent to good, and his poetry is hit or miss. Haven't read his translation with commentary of Pushkin's Eugene Oneguin, but I have read that it is very, very literal and is more of an excercise on translation that an actual translation.
Pnin is a good break for in between his more serious stuff. It might actually be my favorite of his
>>7865329
why do people always add the "or Ardor"
I thought the cover just says Ada
Not trying to derail the thread but why is Lolita even considered a classic? Just because it's well-written? I'm sure it's 2deep4me but the entire thing just made me feel bad, which is the feeling I'm most seeking to avoid by reading in the first place.
>>7865401
>reading for escapism
Just stick to videogames and anime, pleb.
>>7865357
Because that's the full title.
>>7865351
Forgot about Pnin. Add that to the "Essentials" list.
>>7865401
That was the whole point. It is considered a classic because of its display of language mastery, the way in which Nabokov presents the themes, metaphors and images, the themes itselfs, its impact and importance on literary and pop culture, and chiefly because it is a goddamn good book. So what if something doesn't make you feel "good"? Try to read it more objectively. Lolita is actually a very cathartic novel. In any case, you should try to think why it makes you feel bad, and then see how that relates to the novel as a whole.
>>7865401
Lolita basically made black humor chic. The whole streak of that in popular media can be almost entirely credited to Nabokov.
>>7865441
>The whole streak of that in popular media can be almost entirely credited to Nabokov.
That's an interesting claim. Any sources on that? I'm genuinely curious.
>>7865431
the full title also has :a Family Chronicle
>>7865329
>not including defense, gift, and invitation to a beheading to essentials core
senpai...
>>7865451
Maybe entirely is a hyperbole. But he's still largely responsible.
Read E Unibus Pluram.
>>7865480
The essentials are the most canonical works, the ones more discussed in here too. I also enjoy Laughter in the Dark, but it is not as essential as the four mentioned.
>>7865507
defense and invitation are far more canonical than ada or ardor in that sense then your criteria make no sense
also thats a stupid way to define essential
>>7865509
Then why don't you make your own suggestions instead of whining?
>>7865509
And Adad or Ardor is the culmination of Nabokov's writing, whether you like it or not. The Defense and ItaB are lesser works in comparison.
>>7865543
I've seen Ada being more discussed here than the other two, though. Anyway, most people here only discuss Lolita and sometimes PF, so I don't quite get why you are so zealous and flustered about something like this.
>>7865536
>And Adad or Ardor is the culmination of Nabokov's writing
That's arguable. I think there's more genius in something like Pale Fire or Lolita--tightly constructed and precise--than Ada, which is really just Nabokov allowing himself to go off the rails.
It's like saying Finnegan's Wake is a greater work of genius than Ulysses.
also Invitation to a Beheading deserves canonical Nabby status desu
>>7865312
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc5bCExt6L0
>>7865627
>It's like saying Finnegan's Wake is a greater work of genius than Ulysses.
It definitely is though. I don't agree with that entertainment-based mentality that demands everything be "tight" and "precise" in pre-prescribed ways. More often than not, all adhering to those notions does is dumb things down. Fiction isn't utilitarian and pretending it should be never leads to anything good.
