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The flawed human. The insecure being who seeks validation. The manipulated partner. The depressed one who seeks happiness in another life, in order to avoid responsibility and routine. The neglectful father. Still, somewhere in the dimly lit pages of this book, there is a woman who has dedicated her life to him, one who sees in him the person he is unable to see, one who has helped him morph into the man he has become, one who understands he is living a delusion.
Nabokov dedicated this novel to his wife Vera. Imagine that.
Laughter occurs in the dark, both literally and figuratively, as Albinus goes on a downward spiral after abandoning his wife and child for a lover who is a child herself. Does he love his wife, he does, he thinks, and yet there are things he dislikes, just as there are things he seeks in another. Elisabeth, his wife, is barely seen in this novel; she exists in glimpses, the shell of a woman who is a bit distracted but loyal. The narrative hints at a marriage that also contains a layer of friendship and respect:
The woman the reader gets to see clearly, however, is Margot, the lover. Like Albinus, she too suffers from feelings of insecurity that stems from a bad childhood. She is an element of the street, one who has gotten accustomed to using her body to get what she wants. Albinus, on the other hand, is a man of high society. This juxtaposition of class and society is something that makes for quite an interesting read, as Albinus is tricked and cheated in ways that are quite humorous, especially given all he has done to his family. He is laughed at in the streets, in his own home; he is mocked by his lover, by someone he considers a friend; he is mocked by all who once knew him.
Everywhere, there is laughter, and it happens in the dark, since Albinus is the last one to see it, until suddenly,
What makes someone leave a healthy marriage to live in the dark pits of deception, manipulation, and "lust burning a hole in his life?" What enables an intelligent person to ignore the signs of financial abuse, to live in "helpless stupor?" What is it about physical craving that turns 'smart' into some kind of inconceivable 'dumb?' There are deeper, darker paths into the emotional mindset, something that Nabokov explores through Albinus in paced prose that often avoids the lyricism of the Nabokov novel, and yet it has the allure of the sparsity of the Hemingway novel, one that moves through dialogue. Albinus is a tortured and disoriented soul who lives in the dark, always reaching, always wanting more, always living inwardly, so that those around him cannot imagine his humiliation and inner pain.
Nabokov dedicated this novel to his wife Vera. Imagine that.
Laughter occurs in the dark, both literally and figuratively, as Albinus goes on a downward spiral after abandoning his wife and child for a lover who is a child herself. Does he love his wife, he does, he thinks, and yet there are things he dislikes, just as there are things he seeks in another. Elisabeth, his wife, is barely seen in this novel; she exists in glimpses, the shell of a woman who is a bit distracted but loyal. The narrative hints at a marriage that also contains a layer of friendship and respect:
n They had some very delightful trips abroad, and many beautifully soft evenings at home where he sat with her on the balcony high above the blue streets with the wires and chimneys drawn in Indian ink across the sunset, and reflected that he was really happy beyond his deserts.n
The woman the reader gets to see clearly, however, is Margot, the lover. Like Albinus, she too suffers from feelings of insecurity that stems from a bad childhood. She is an element of the street, one who has gotten accustomed to using her body to get what she wants. Albinus, on the other hand, is a man of high society. This juxtaposition of class and society is something that makes for quite an interesting read, as Albinus is tricked and cheated in ways that are quite humorous, especially given all he has done to his family. He is laughed at in the streets, in his own home; he is mocked by his lover, by someone he considers a friend; he is mocked by all who once knew him.
Everywhere, there is laughter, and it happens in the dark, since Albinus is the last one to see it, until suddenly,
n he had the obscure sensation of everything being suddenly turned the other way round, so that he had to read it all backward if he wanted to understand. It was a sensation devoid of any pain or astonishment. It was simply something dark and looming, and yet smooth and soundless, coming toward him; and there he stood, in a kind of dreamy, helpless stupor, not even trying to avoid that ghostly impact...n
What makes someone leave a healthy marriage to live in the dark pits of deception, manipulation, and "lust burning a hole in his life?" What enables an intelligent person to ignore the signs of financial abuse, to live in "helpless stupor?" What is it about physical craving that turns 'smart' into some kind of inconceivable 'dumb?' There are deeper, darker paths into the emotional mindset, something that Nabokov explores through Albinus in paced prose that often avoids the lyricism of the Nabokov novel, and yet it has the allure of the sparsity of the Hemingway novel, one that moves through dialogue. Albinus is a tortured and disoriented soul who lives in the dark, always reaching, always wanting more, always living inwardly, so that those around him cannot imagine his humiliation and inner pain.
