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Escape into Aesthetics: The Art of Vladimir Nabokov
His first book. The first full-length study of Nabokov in the United States, with bibliography.
141 pages
First published January 1, 1967
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About the author
Page Stegner
31 books4 followersPage Stegner is a novelist, essayist, and historian who has written extensively about the American West. He is the son of novelist Wallace Stegner.
Stenger received his B.A. in history from Stanford University in 1959, followed by a Ph.D in American literature in 1964. He served as a Professor of American Literature and Director of the creative writing program at the University of California, Santa Cruz from 1965 to 1995, at which time he focused his efforts on writing. He has received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship (1980), a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship (1981) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1982). He is married to novelist Lynn Stegner. They live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (from Wikipedia)
Stenger received his B.A. in history from Stanford University in 1959, followed by a Ph.D in American literature in 1964. He served as a Professor of American Literature and Director of the creative writing program at the University of California, Santa Cruz from 1965 to 1995, at which time he focused his efforts on writing. He has received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship (1980), a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship (1981) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1982). He is married to novelist Lynn Stegner. They live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 6, 2017
In this great examination of Nabokov's literary output, Page Stegner focuses on the famous author's approach to art and style as it is demonstrated through his characters and chosen subject matter. Stegner pays special attention to Bend Sinister, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Pnin, Pale Fire, and - of course - Lolita. Within these works, he highlights the main characters portrayed as artists, both proclaimed and unconventional, and how the artistic insight is used to confront existentialist dilemmas of purpose, identity, and death.
Most interesting in Stegner's chosen material is his approach to Pale Fire, which focuses more on the poem by John Shade rather than Kinbote's posthumous analysis, as well as his reluctance to agree with other critics that Pale Fire is a 'great work of art' rather than, as he puts it, "over-composed and over-controlled - Nabokov's Finnigans Wake." He also pushes against the common belief that Lolita is primarily an exercise in word games and puzzles, as he points out that this ignores the greater talent and artistry at work, and eludes to part of this distraction being the motivation of many critics to focus more on defending the work from claims of pornography and deviancy than actually critiquing the work as a whole.
Overall, Stegner's critical study of Nabokov is highly insightful and informational, and a must-read for anybody interested in a better understanding of Nabokov's work.
Most interesting in Stegner's chosen material is his approach to Pale Fire, which focuses more on the poem by John Shade rather than Kinbote's posthumous analysis, as well as his reluctance to agree with other critics that Pale Fire is a 'great work of art' rather than, as he puts it, "over-composed and over-controlled - Nabokov's Finnigans Wake." He also pushes against the common belief that Lolita is primarily an exercise in word games and puzzles, as he points out that this ignores the greater talent and artistry at work, and eludes to part of this distraction being the motivation of many critics to focus more on defending the work from claims of pornography and deviancy than actually critiquing the work as a whole.
Overall, Stegner's critical study of Nabokov is highly insightful and informational, and a must-read for anybody interested in a better understanding of Nabokov's work.
Displaying 1 of 1 review