My loathings are rather straightforward: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, and soft music. On the other hand, my pleasures are among the most intense known to mankind: writing and butterfly hunting.

Nabokov's books have an uncanny ability to make my spine tingle. I truly relished this carefully crafted glimpse into his mind. He was not one to do off-the-cuff interviews. Instead, he had three absolute conditions for any interview. The questions had to be sent to him in writing, he would answer them in writing, and they had to be reproduced verbatim.

"I have always been a wretched speaker. My vocabulary resides deep within my mind and requires paper to wriggle out into the physical realm. Spontaneous eloquence seems like a miracle to me. I have rewritten - often several times - every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers."

In a sense, I suppose Nabokov is the only person in the world who has truly inspired me. His books have motivated me to view the world through different eyes. He describes things in words and ways that I would never have imagined. He inspired me to discover beauty in butterflies, a colorful aspect of the world that I simply overlooked before, but now I chase them all over the trailsides.

Perhaps the greatest revelation in this entire book is that I finally have a resolution on how to pronounce Pnin. It seems so simple that I almost feel foolish. Just try the combination "Up, Nina!", leaving out the initial "u". Pnina, Pnin. There we go, that's perfect.

I am not a good reader.

I constantly find myself zoned out and have to start a paragraph again.

My mind tends to wander easily when I am reading, and I often struggle to stay focused.

However, this book was different.

It had a unique charm that not only kept my attention throughout long strips of text but also made me go back and re-read them with sheer pleasure.

The author's writing style was so engaging and captivating that I couldn't put the book down.

Every word seemed to be carefully chosen to draw me in and keep me hooked.

It was like embarking on a thrilling adventure with each turn of the page.

I found myself completely immersed in the story, forgetting about everything else around me.

This book has truly changed my perception of reading and has made me realize that it can be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

I la contundència, on és? In general, there are the same opinions as in his other books on literature, but they are worse explained. And for each somewhat formed opinion, there are fifty pages of repeating and repeating uninteresting things.

It is not strange either. Let us remember that Nabokov is the one who does not like Dostoyevsky because "Raskolnikov is almost a Nazi"...

This work seems to lack the depth and clarity that one might expect from a literary analysis. The ideas are presented in a rather muddled way, with a lot of repetition that makes it difficult to follow the author's train of thought.

Moreover, the comparison of Raskolnikov to a Nazi is rather extreme and perhaps not entirely fair. While Raskolnikov's actions in "Crime and Punishment" are certainly morally ambiguous, it is a stretch to label him as almost a Nazi.

Overall, this article leaves much to be desired in terms of both its content and its presentation. It could benefit from a more thorough editing and a more nuanced approach to the subject matter.

A Memorable Book about Nabokov's Aesthetic and Artistic Ideas

Vladimir Nabokov is a renowned author known for his unique and captivating works.

There is a particular book that delves deep into his aesthetic and artistic ideas, offering readers a fascinating exploration.

This book not only examines Nabokov's writing style but also his views on beauty, form, and the creative process.

It uncovers the hidden layers of his works, revealing the intricate web of ideas and emotions that lie beneath the surface.

Readers will gain a deeper understanding of Nabokov's genius and the ways in which he revolutionized literature.

The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Nabokov's works or in the study of aesthetics and art.

It provides a wealth of insights and interpretations that will leave readers inspired and enlightened.

Whether you are a scholar, a literature enthusiast, or simply someone looking for a thought-provoking read, this book about Nabokov's aesthetic and artistic ideas is sure to captivate your attention.

Rewritten and expanded:

It may not possess the same level of self-awareness as "Speak, Memory," but the opinions expressed here are often delightfully eccentric and funny, just as one would expect. However, they are never so overly didactic that a simple afternoon spent at the pub couldn't potentially change them. This piece offers a unique perspective that is both engaging and thought-provoking. A more fitting title perhaps could be "MIND: At Work." It implies that the mind is constantly active, processing ideas and generating opinions that are not set in stone but can be influenced by various experiences, such as a casual conversation over a pint at the local pub.

I mostly read this to confirm that Vlady thought Humbert Humbert was a victim-blaming piece of garbage, and he did. So :)

But as a person, I don't really like Nabokov. His work is impeccable, some of the best stuff I've ever read. However, in these interviews, the tact with which he constructs a phrase and the depths of thought he explores - or rather has his reader explore - are completely absent. Instead, we are introduced to his "strong opinions" which he more or less regards as fact and never really explains. Why did he hate Faulkner? No idea. Why does he like any of the writers he does (Kafka in particular)? Once again, no clue.

It's not as if there are no good moments. I liked that he defended Dolores, and I liked that he spoke of his writing process in detail. I also agreed that art's primary focus should be to enthrall the reader. But in the case of the last one and in the case of most of his opinions, I think he takes it too far. He despises all fiction with any sort of message, seeing things in black and white. Considering that the ambiguity and infinite interpretation is something I admire about his fiction, this is disappointing.

Still, I tried his notecard writing system and it has worked wonders for me, so I'm still giving this two stars.

"Excelente libro de entrevistas a Nabokov" is truly an outstanding work.

This book offers a unique and in-depth look into the mind of the great Vladimir Nabokov through a series of fascinating interviews.

The interviews cover a wide range of topics, including his writing process, his views on literature, and his personal life.

Readers will be captivated by Nabokov's sharp intellect, his witty remarks, and his profound insights into the world of literature.

The book is not only a must-read for fans of Nabokov's work but also for anyone interested in the art of writing and the creative process.

It provides valuable inspiration and guidance for aspiring writers, as well as a rich source of entertainment and enlightenment for general readers.

Overall, "Excelente libro de entrevistas a Nabokov" is a remarkable achievement that will surely be cherished by generations of readers to come.

The first two-thirds of the content, which consisted of the interviews, was truly excellent. It was engaging and held my attention throughout. However, the last one-third, which included the letters to editors and the articles, was extremely boring to the point of despair.

Regrettably, I do not possess a parasocial relationship with Nabokov that is strong enough to find entertainment in his detailed listing of the locations where he captured butterfly specimens. While I understand that this may be of great interest to some who have a deeper connection with him, for me, it simply failed to hold my interest.

I found myself struggling to get through this part of the material, and it really detracted from the overall experience. It's a shame that such a promising start was marred by this rather dull and uninteresting section.

Perhaps if I had a greater appreciation for Nabokov's work and his passion for butterfly collecting, I might have been more engaged. But as it stands, I can't help but feel disappointed with this aspect of the content.

I find myself irresistibly drawn to those writers who possess a quality that goes beyond mere correctness or profound insight. They have the ability to induce that "spinal twinge" which Nabokov describes as the result of encountering a great poem. While reading this book, I experienced numerous such twinges. In fact, before I even completed it, I rushed to the bookstore to fill my shelves with more of N.'s works. The interviews, letters to the editor, and essays included in this volume are uniformly a great source of enjoyment. The most engaging parts of the book occur when Nabokov is at his most scathing, whether he is lambasting the publisher of Lolita or critics of his Eugene Onegin. It is not just the potency or the precision of Nabokov's literary attacks that are so pleasurable, but rather the process of observing him expose his challengers with satisfying exactitude. Clearly, Nabokov is firmly adhering to his version of events and attempting to present himself as the erudite, worldly, and authoritative figure on literary matters. However, his arguments for his unwavering correctness are meticulous in both their details and their choice of words. So many literary myths are constructed upon self-distortion, yet Nabokov's seems to be founded primarily on his comprehensive collection of facts and his mastery of language.

I didn't have an in-depth knowledge of Nabokov, but one fascinating fact became evident right away. He had such doubts about his linguistic abilities that he insisted on writing down all his answers to interview questions. This shows his meticulous attention to detail and his desire to ensure that his words were expressed precisely as he intended.

Moreover, he was not afraid to voice his opinions about other well-known writers. He would rail against publications that made even the slightest error, such as misplacing a comma. This indicates his high standards for literary excellence and his intolerance for sloppiness.

I was also very pleased to see him criticize the likes of Hemingway and DH Lawrence for being over-rated. He believed that their reputations were inflated and that their followers were too subservient. This bold stance shows his independence of thought and his willingness to challenge the status quo in the literary world.

Strong Opinions is a captivating collection that mainly features interviews, articles, and editorials from 1962 - 1972 when Nabokov resided in Montreux, Switzerland. The term "interview" here is used liberally. As Nabokov himself states in the foreword, "I think like a genius, I write like a distinguished author, and I speak like a child." When giving an interview, he had three strict conditions: the questions had to be in writing, he would answer in writing, and they had to be reproduced exactly. In this collection, the interviews seem like conversations, but one can tell that Nabokov's answers are the result of careful thought, writing, and revision. In fact, many of his phrases and responses are repeated in different interviews and were originally drafted for other purposes, like Lectures on Literature.

Strong Opinions truly lives up to its name, as it presents Nabokov's firm views on a wide range of topics. For example, when asked, "Which is the best thing men do?" he replied, "To be kind, to be proud, to be fearless." In these texts, he indeed appears never unkind, proud, and fearless. In another interview, there is an interesting exchange about whether a writer should give interviews. Nabokov expresses his views, saying that while he understands people's interest in his writings, he doesn't quite sympathize with those who want to know him personally. He claims his habits are simple and tastes banal. However, he also admits that he enjoys constructing a plausible and not displeasing personality in public colloquies.

There are also some fun moments, like when Nabokov predicts emojis. When asked how he ranks himself among writers, he remarks that there should be a special typographical sign for a smile, like a concave mark or a supine round bracket. Although I may not share all of his opinions, I found reading and contrasting them to be an enjoyable experience. I believe some of his strong opinions are a reaction to the overly popularized trends of the time. Additionally, I relished the insights he provided into his writing methods, thought processes, comments on imagination and memory, observations about subjective reality, and his passionate outpourings on lepidoptery. I also appreciate his attention to language and the "verbal poetical texture" of his writing, and I always concur with and value his prescriptions for being a great reader.

Nabokov doesn't come across as particularly likeable in this collection of media interviews from the 1960s and 70s. Mostly, it was in the format of written responses to questions sent in advance, which was what he insisted upon.

However, he doesn't have to be likeable to be intelligent and interesting. He often dodges interview questions, writes fanciful responses, and offers highly critical opinions about many other artists. He appears aloof, privileged, lost in a comfortable aesthetic life. By his own admission, he is supremely indifferent to many social, political, and cultural shifts in the wider world.

He has an incredible vocabulary and remarkable skill with metaphor, pun, translation (Russian, French), and poetic turns of phrase in general. He can be entertaining, witty, subtle, and often persuasive in his opinions, tastes, and attention to detail. He doesn't tolerate fools or nonsense easily, and sometimes it elicits a laugh or even a nod of agreement. He seems like a dedicated teacher, professor, and scientist (lepidopterist) as well as a novelist.

But I must admit my interest waned a little towards the end of the collection. There, the more substantial interviews gave way to a series of short articles, letters, and fragments. Here, Nabokov is fastidious and pedantic about translation errors, butterfly classifications, and other details regarding his life and works.

It's easy to understand how people could find him tedious and disagreeable. But perhaps this is all just a part of his persona in print, a kind of mischief. One wonders about his wife Véra, always in the background, typing up his writings, driving him across America, following him up hillsides looking for butterflies.

A contrary eccentric with a remarkable mind, and possibly very mild to those who knew him personally, he remains a great 20th-century novelist of puzzles, enigmas, beauties, madnesses, unreliable narrations, and dreamy inspirations.