The darkly comic Transparent Things, one of Nabokov's final books, traces the bleak life of Hugh Person through murder, madness, prison and trips to Switzerland. One of these was the last journey his father ever took; on another, having been sent to ingratiate himself with a distinguished novelist, he met his future wife. Nabokov's brilliant short novel sinks into the transparent things of the world that surround this one Person, to the silent histories they carry. Remarkable even in Nabokov's work for its depth and ...
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The darkly comic Transparent Things, one of Nabokov's final books, traces the bleak life of Hugh Person through murder, madness, prison and trips to Switzerland. One of these was the last journey his father ever took; on another, having been sent to ingratiate himself with a distinguished novelist, he met his future wife. Nabokov's brilliant short novel sinks into the transparent things of the world that surround this one Person, to the silent histories they carry. Remarkable even in Nabokov's work for its depth and lyricism, Transparent Things is a small, experimental marvel of memories and dreams, both sentimental and malign. Part of a major new beautiful hardback series of the works of Vladimir Nabokov, author of Lolita and Pale Fire, in Penguin Classics.
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Add this copy of Transparent Things (Penguin Modern Classics) to cart. $47.52, good condition, Sold by HPB-Red rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Penguin Books.
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Add this copy of Transparent Things (Penguin Modern Classics) to cart. $88.94, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Penguin Classics.
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.
