Nabokov's Dozen (1958)

by Vladimir Nabokov

Other authors: Vladimir Nabokov (Translator)

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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Thirteen strangely wrought, ingeniously crafted stories make up Nabokov's baker's dozen. In some of these stories shadowy people pass through, cooped up by life, with nowhere to escape to. Their dreams lie stifled, smothered by routine and repetition, and frustrations lurk in all the corners. In others, elusive glimpses of fleeting happiness, which flutter away before they can be snatched, waylay their victims. Like the shimmer of the sea, the gleam of a glass caught by the sun, they sparkle brilliantly only to dissolve again.… (more)

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A collection of semi-autobiographical stories. Nabokov has a wonderful sense of words, Fowler says "perhaps the most dazzling prose ever written in English", and an incredible vocabulary (Nabokov is said to abhor an abrdiged dictionary!). Wonderful memories, neat twists, and fantastically descriptive language throughout. (

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jsoos | Aug 11, 2009 |

Book Description: Franklin Center, PA: The Franklin Library, 1977. Fine in tan leather boards. Bright gilt embossed lettering and illustrations to the panels and spine. Four raised bands to the spine. Bright gilt to the page ends. Numerous full page illustrations by Keely. Original reading ribbon bound in. 270 pp.

Czrbr | Jun 7, 2010 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Nabokov, Vladimir	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Nabokov, Vladimir	Translator	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Beunis, Karel	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Coutinho, M.	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Perry, Sheila	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Zuckerberg, Stanley	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Bij reeks

Literaire reuzenpocket (157)

Little Clothbound Classics

Penguin Books (1493)

ちくま文庫

Contains

Spring in Fialta by Vladimir Nabokov

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Canonical title

Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Lente in Fialta

Original title

Nabokov's dozen : thirteen stories

Alternative titles

Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Spring in Fialta

Original publication date

1958

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Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Spring in Fialta is cloudy and dull.

Quotations

Mademoiselle ... would open the copybook to make a margin in it; ... the book would be briskly twisted around and placed before me ready for use. A new pen followed: she would moisten the glistening nib with susurrous lips before dipping it into the baptismal ink font. Then ... with exquisite care I would inscribe the word Dictee ...

Last words

Disambiguation notice

"Spring in Fialta" is the title of one of the thirteen short stories in Nabokov's Dozen — as well as the title, under which this collection was published in some other languages. In some cases, combining Spring in Fialta with Nabokov's Dozen is appropriate, but be careful, because Весна в Фиалте [Spring in Fialta] is the title of Nabokov's last collection of stories in Russian, which has nothing to do with Nabokov's Dozen except that they both include the story "Spring in Fialta."

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Russian

French

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▾Book descriptions

Thirteen strangely wrought, ingeniously crafted stories make up Nabokov's baker's dozen. In some of these stories shadowy people pass through, cooped up by life, with nowhere to escape to. Their dreams lie stifled, smothered by routine and repetition, and frustrations lurk in all the corners. In others, elusive glimpses of fleeting happiness, which flutter away before they can be snatched, waylay their victims. Like the shimmer of the sea, the gleam of a glass caught by the sun, they sparkle brilliantly only to dissolve again.

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Book description

Contains these thirteen stories:

Spring in Fialta; A Forgotten Poet; First Love; Signs and Symbols; The Assistant Producer; The Aurelian; Cloud, Castle, Lake; Conversation Piece, 1945; "That in Aleppo Once . . ."; Time and Ebb; Scenes from the Life of a Double Monster; Mademoiselle O; Lance

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