Vladimir Nabokov presents his detailed pedagogical approach to the European novel through reconstructed classroom lectures on Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Robert Louis Stevenson, Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, and James Joyce. He rejects historical, sociological, and psychological interpretations of fiction, arguing instead that a masterpiece is a self-contained world governed by its own internal logic. The text examines specific details such as the floor plan of Mansfield Park, the precise layout of the carriage in Madame Bovary, and the physical mechanics of Gregor Samsa’s metamorphosis. Nabokov emphasizes the role of the author as an enchanter who constructs intricate patterns and stylistic structures.
Students of creative writing and literary analysis use this volume to learn the practice of close reading. It appeals to those who wish to understand the technical construction of prose and the importance of specific sensory imagery over abstract ideas. Readers gain a framework for evaluating literature based on aesthetic harmony rather than moral or social utility. The book provides a method for dissecting the interplay between syntax, rhythm, and structural motifs, shifting the focus from what a story represents to how it is built.
- Published
- 1980
- Language
- EN
