Speak, Nabokov

On the eve of the controversial, posthumous publication of The Original of Laura, Michael Maar follows his critically acclaimed The Two Lolitas with a revealing new perspective on Vladimir Nabokov’s life and work. Hunting down long-hidden clues in the novels, and using the themes that run through Nabokov’s fiction to illuminate the life that produced them, Maar constructs a compelling psychological and philosophical portrait. Characteristically graceful and engaging, Speak, Nabokov offers a vital new perspective on the twentieth-century master.“Michael Maar has mastered the art of deciphering Nabokov’s books.”—

“In this brilliant book on the life and work of Vladimir Nabokov, Michael Maar once more proves himself to be a literary detective.”—Weltwoche

“Bravely locates itself outside the mainstream of Nabokov studies by going into territory neither Nabokov nor Nabokov loyalists would approve.”—Eric Naiman, Slavic ReviewMichael Maar has taught at Stanford University and is a member of two German academies. A leading literary critic, he now lives in Berlin.