The Meanest Things Vladimir Nabokov Said About Other Writers

"One can be a lover of Space and its possibilities: take, for example, speed, the smoothness and sword-swish of speed; the aquiline glory of ruling velocity; the joy cry of the curve; and one can be an amateur of Time, an epicure of duration. I delight sensually in Time, in its stuff and spread, in the fall of its folds, in the very impalpability of its grayish gauze, in the coolness of its continuum. I wish to do something about it; to indulge in a simulacrum of possession. I am aware that all who have tried to reach the charmed castle have got lost in obscurity or have bogged down in Space."

For a much better list, see: http://wmjas.wikidot.com/nabokov-s-recommendations

In general when one writer says snotty things about another, it can simply mean, "I don't see anything here that I can use." As for this list, it is worth mentioning that Nabokov wrote a short book on Gogol, and gives him about 50 pages in the Lectures on Russian Literature.

You cannot say anything bad about Stendhal, you just can not. I can understand his opinion on Balzac, because lots of people hate him for how right he was (I personally love him), but Stendhal’s style was just out of this world.

His criticisms of Dostoyesky do not sit well. I've read several of Nabokov's books -- Lolita, Pale Fire, Speak Memory, The Defense, and Invitation to a Beheading. The last 2 are highly recommended and in general the works originally written in Russian are underrated.

Nabokov's character development and psychological penetration don't hold a candle to Dostoyevsky's though.

I don't have much opinion on literature but I am deeply opinionated on classical music. I wonder if there's a similar list by a composer or music critic about other composers of his/her time. That'd be an interesting read!

Typefying Hemingway with "bells, balls and bulls" is pretty funny.

When you are this great, I think you can cast some stones. I find his prose achingly beautiful.

Most dissapointing famous books IMHO:

3. Lolita

2. Catcher in the rye

1. Anne Frank diary

The Trump of literature.

Other than some English or Russian Lit classes, does anyone read his works these days? I imagine they are like those of other Russian writers, dense prose, too many characters, one thousand page door stops.