Transparent Things

Collapsing Narratives

This, one of Nabokov's lesser known works, is also perhaps one of his most bizarre. The story revolves around the main character, Hugh Person, and his four vacations in Sweden. Each is marred by tragedy and supplemented with comedy. Despite the everyman quality of the protagonist, the story is less than relatable. It is not told in a straight-forward chronological fashion but rather in a surreal revolving way; Nabokov jumps back and forth between the four trips. It makes for a difficult read if you plan to take it in in short bursts. It's best if you read this short novel in one take, and the four trips will seem to blend into one, and somehow, it will all make perfect sense.