Collected Stories

20/09/16

I'm taking a class on Nabokov this semester and have finally been sent the reading list. This seemed like a really good collection to buy, because it includes almost all of the short stories on my set text list. The whole collection is huge, with 65 stories, and clearly it'll probably be a very long time before I read the whole thing, but I need to keep track of the stories I do need to read for class.

I've also found copies of the Russian originals, and although I'm not required to read the originals for the class, I feel like I should at least try. Anyone who has read anything by Nabokov will know his use of language, even in English, is complex and difficult, so I don't have much hope for any success in reading his style in Russian, but I'll at least have a look. His novels/novellas are definitely way out of my league, but I'm planning to try the short stories on my set text list.

So the lists below will help me keep track...

08/12/16

The semester is (finally) coming to an end and I've finished all the set reading for this class. Have I read all 65 stories in this collection? No. Will I read more by Nabokov in the future, including from this collection? Almost certainly, but probably after a bit of a break, as otherwise I'd be risking Nabokov fatigue. I've really enjoyed this module, even if it was hard going at times (and I still have an essay to write..), and I think it's given me a really good grounding of Nabokov's work. I marking this as read for now (I think I've read enough to say I've ‘read' his short stories!), but I'll be keeping a list below of the stories I'd like to try in the future, whenever I have the urge to dip into the collection again.

For anyone looking to try Nabokov's short stories, my favourites and the ones I'd recommend were ‘Signs and Symbols', ‘Spring in Fialta' and ‘Terra Incognita'.

Stories to read in English for class:
Terra Incognita: (read 20/09/16) ★★★★½. Well, this was definitely a fantastic start! I attempted this in Russian first and, surprisingly, didn't find the language too taxing. When I read it in English straight after, I hadn't really missed out on anything. On top of that, it was also a first-class short story, enthralling and disturbing, about a feverish, nightmare of an expedition into the jungle gone awry, where perhaps reality isn't so certain.
The Leonardo: (read 21/09/16) ★★★. The beginning and end of the story were the best parts: the framing of the story with the narrator setting the scene with bringing on props. Also loved how the narrator was shocked and disappointed in the characters at the end of the story despite setting things in motion in the first place! Basically loved the narration, but there wasn't anything that interesting about the story itself. Also found it much trickier to read in Russian and didn't really understand the story fully until I read it in English. Maybe I need to re-read it now to see if I can make more sense of the language now.
Spring in Fialta: (read 16/10/16) ★★★★. Beautiful, vivid prose in a sad reflection of past love. Perhaps a bit more straightforward then I'm used to with Nabokov by now, but the ending still packed a punch and there is an abundance of gorgeous imagery to lose yourself in. (I've yet to attempt this in Russian though..)
Visit to the Museum: (read 19/10/16) ★. Zzzzzzz....
That Once In Aleppo: (read 20/10/16) ★★★.
Signs and Symbols: (read 22/10/16) ★★★★★. I am pretty certain this is the shortest of Nabokov's short stories I have read so far, but don't let that fool you. It packs a punch. If you haven't read much by Nabokov yet, and are unsure where to start, this was certainly be a good place to begin. It's a powerful, moving glimpse into the life of an immigrant couple visit their son in a mental asylum on his birthday. The denial, fear, hopelessness, desperation for understanding is clear. Simply perfect and an example of what a short story should be.
The Vane Sisters: (read 24/10/16) ★★★½. Again beautiful, vivid language, but content wise I simply didn't feel as moved by this one as, for example, ‘Spring in Fialta' or ‘Signs and Symbols'.

Stories to attempt in Russian for class:
Terra Incognita / Терра Инкогнита
The Leonardo / Королек
Spring in Fialta / Весна в Фиальте
Visit to the Museum / Посещение музея
That Once In Aleppo / Как-то раз в Алеппо...

>Stories to read outside of class:
The Wood-Sprite
Russian Spoken Here
The Potato Elf
The Circle
A Russian Beauty
Torpid Smoke
Cloud, Castle, Lake
Lik
Mademoiselle O
Time and Ebb