Will Norman Livres

The book examines Vladimir Nabokov's complex relationship with history, arguing that his apparent detachment conceals a deep engagement with social and political contexts. By analyzing his American works in light of 20th-century ideological conflicts, it reveals how Nabokov's manipulation of time serves as a defense against historical realities. The study contextualizes his major writings, addressing the ethical and aesthetic implications of his responses to totalitarianism, the Holocaust, and the Cold War, ultimately rethinking his place in literary history and modernism.

This collection of original essays is concerned with one of the most important writers of the twentieth century: Vladimir Nabokov. The book features contributions from both well-established and new scholars, and represents the latest developments in research. The essays all address the possibility of reading Nabokov’s works as operating between categories of various kinds – whether linguistic, formal, historical or national. In doing so, they explore exciting new paradigms for approaching Nabokov’s oeuvre. The volume brings together a diverse range of critical voices from around the world, to respond to some of the most urgent questions raised about Nabokov’s work. Topics covered include the relationship between his artistic and scientific work, his influences on contemporary fiction, and the development of his aesthetics over his career. Drawing variously on archive research, alternative readings of key texts, and fresh theoretical approaches, this book injects new impetus into Nabokov studies as it continues to evolve as a discipline.

The book explores the intersections of various cultural elements, such as hardboiled fiction, New Yorker cartoons, and Bette Davis's work, through the lenses of influential thinkers like Flaubert, Hegel, and Marx. It argues for a redefined understanding of modernism's role in midcentury American culture, highlighting how these diverse influences shape literary and artistic expressions of the time. By connecting seemingly disparate elements, it offers fresh insights into the complexities of modernist thought and its cultural implications.