A journey through the life of a literary genius
I am an American writer, born in Russia, educated in England, where I studied French literature before moving to Germany for fifteen years. My head speaks English, my heart speaks Russian, and my ear speaks French.
This is how the great Russian and American poet and writer of the 20th century, Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, speaks about himself. Known for his captivating novels, exceptional writing style, and intricate storytelling, Vladimir lived an extraordinary life full of success, struggle, and a deep passion for literature.
Nabokov’s life story began in St. Petersburg, Russia. Born into an intellectual and wealthy family of a politician and writer, Vladimir was familiar with art and literature from childhood. Nabokov received an excellent education at home, learning to read first in English and then in Russian. Vladimir’s mother was an educated woman with impeccable taste. She passed on her love for beauty to her children, of whom, besides Vladimir, there were four more. In addition, Nabokov received an amazing “gift” from her mother, whose scientific name is synesthesia. People with this neurological phenomenon are able to see letters and numbers in certain colors. Vladimir Nabokov wrote in his autobiography: “It happened when I was seven years old. I picked up a bunch of letter blocks and accidentally mentioned to my mother that the colors were “wrong.”
Nabokov’s youth was spent in his hobbies of chess, tennis, butterflies, drawing, and books. This left an imprint on the rest of his life, and therefore, in Vladimir’s book, published in 1971, entitled “Poems and Problems,” both poetry and chess problems were collected.
His fascination with butterflies became more than just an ordinary hobby. Nabokov distinguished himself in this area as an entomologist and researcher who described several species of butterflies in his scientific articles. “Any corner of the earth where I can be in the company of butterflies and their food plants. This is bliss, and behind this bliss is something that is not entirely definable. It’s like some kind of instantaneous physical emptiness, where everything I love in the world rushes to fill it.” ( Nabokov “Other Shores.”). It was childhood and the influence of parents that became the foundation of the writer’s well-being in the future: luxury, wonderful parents, and many vivid impressions that Nabokov shared in his poems and stories.
In 1916, he made his literary debut and published a collection of poems. Vladimir Nabokov’s early works, written in Russian, brought him recognition as a promising writer. However, life changed dramatically in 1917, when the Russian Revolution forced his family into exile. They initially moved to Crimea and then settled in various European cities, including Berlin and Paris. These travels introduced Nabokov to different cultures and languages, influencing his later work. Abroad, Vladimir graduated from Cambridge College, where he studied Romance and Slavic languages and literature. In addition to his studies, Nabokov also wrote poetry and translated. He gained fame in 1926 when the novel “Mary” was published. Afterwards, the novels “The Defense of Luzhin,” “Invitation to Execution,” “The Gift,” “Despair,” and others were published. Nabokov’s original approach to the structure of the work and the play on words that he used to create a unique atmosphere and convey complex emotions and thoughts aroused great interest among foreign audiences. Simon Karlinsky in the New York Times Book Review said about Nabokov:”It was in his Russian novels… that he developed his art of incorporating literary allusions and references as an integral technique of artistic storytelling.”