Revenge

by Vladimir Nabokov

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Short Stories, Russia, Russian Literature

Collection

About the author

Vladimir Nabokov (Russian: Владимир Набоков) was a writer defined by a life of forced movement and extraordinary linguistic transformation. Born into a wealthy, liberal aristocratic family in St. Petersburg, Russia, he grew up trilingual, speaking Russian, English, and French in a household that nurtured his intellectual curiosities, including a lifelong passion for butterflies. This seemingly idyllic, privileged existence was abruptly shattered by the Bolshevik Revolution, which forced the family into permanent exile in 1919. This early, profound experience of displacement and the loss of a homeland became a central, enduring theme in his subsequent work, fueling his exploration of memory, nostalgia, and the irretrievable past.
The first phase of his literary life began in Europe, primarily in Berlin, where he established himself as a leading voice among the Russian émigré community under the pseudonym "Vladimir Sirin". During this prolific period, he penned nine novels in his native tongue, showcasing a precocious talent for intricate plotting and character study. Works like The Defense explored obsession through the extended metaphor of chess, while Invitation to a Beheading served as a potent, surreal critique of totalitarian absurdity. In 1925, he married Véra Slonim, an intellectual force in her own right, who would become his indispensable partner, editor, translator, and lifelong anchor.
The escalating shadow of Nazism necessitated another, urgent relocation in 1940, this time to the United States. It was here that Nabokov undertook an extraordinary linguistic metamorphosis, making the challenging yet resolute shift from Russian to English as his primary language of expression. He became a U.S. citizen in 1945, solidifying his new life in North America. To support his family, he took on academic positions, first founding the Russian department at Wellesley College, and later serving as a highly regarded professor of Russian and European literature at Cornell University from 1948 to 1959.
During this academic tenure, he also dedicated significant time to his other great passion: lepidoptery. He worked as an unpaid curator of butterflies at Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology. His scientific work was far from amateurish; he developed novel taxonomic methods and a groundbreaking, highly debated theory on the migration patterns and phylogeny of the Polyommatus blue butterflies, a hypothesis that modern DNA analysis confirmed decades later.
Nabokov achieved widespread international fame and financial independence with the publication of Lolita in 1955, a novel that was initially met with controversy and censorship battles due to its provocative subject matter concerning a middle-aged literature professor and his obsession with a twelve-year-old girl. The novel's critical and commercial success finally allowed him to leave teaching and academia behind. In 1959, he and Véra moved permanently to the quiet luxury of the Montreux Palace Hotel in Switzerland, where he focused solely on writing, translating his earlier Russian works into meticulous English, and studying local butterflies.
His later English novels, such as Pale Fire (1962), a complex, postmodern narrative structured around a 999-line poem and its delusional commentator, cemented his reputation as a master stylist and a technical genius. His literary style is characterized by intricate wordplay, a profound use of allusion, structural complexity, and an insistence on the artist's total, almost tyrannical, control over their created world. Nabokov often expressed disdain for what he termed "topical trash" and the simplistic interpretations of Freudian psychoanalysis, preferring instead to focus on the power of individual consciousness, the mechanics of memory, and the intricate, often deceptive, interplay between art and perceived "reality". His unique body of work, straddling multiple cultures and languages, continues to

Reviews

[Matthew Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 13 short stories* by Nabo, with some 5-star entries, of course. I won’t deconstruct the entire collection. One standout, for several reasons, is “The Dragon”; I had no idea Nabokov had written anything like it: if someone read it to me and asked me who I thought the writer is I would have sooner said Tolkien than Nabokov. A bashful dragon bucks up the courage to leave his cave and wrecks some, mostly unintentional (or rather, who can blame him?) damage on a nearby down, but all the while becomes involved in an advertising campaign for the local rival tobacco companies. It is playful, whimsical, with only a touch of Nabokov’s cynicism/dark humour at the end. In a similar way, “The Wood-Sprite” doesn’t feel quite like Nabokov either. Some of his others, “Details of a Sunset”, “Revenge” and “Perfection”, for example, are Nabokov through-and-through; they are full of wit and very black humour. Laughing in the face of death, as was his wont, it seems. Men die, men kill their wives over misunderstandings, etc. And “First Love”, reminiscent of Speak, Memory has Nabokov as the narrator, describing his first love. And like with his memoir, some of the prose just sings through your head. It’s impossible not to read his writing and adore him and hate him at once. Still, easily, one of my favourite writers to ever walk on our planet.

*For those interested (because it’s annoying that different collections contain different, but often overlapping, stories): “Details of a Sunset”; “The Thunderstorm”; “A Nursery Tale”; “Easter Rain”; “The Dragon”; “Revenge”; “A Forgotten Poet”; “The Seaport”; “Razor”; “First Love”; “The Wood-Sprite”; “Music”; “Perfection.”

[Bob Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enkele pareltjes (Perfection en Revenge zijn mijn favorieten) in deze bundel kortverhalen; het is voor alle duidelijkheid Nabokovs prachtige proza dat de show steelt, veel meer dan de inhoud van deze verhalen.

[Petrus Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were good overall, but nothing that impactful. Short stories aren’t really my fav, I feel like we never get a chance to really get into the story or emotions. Brilliant descriptions and settings, however. My favourite is “Music”, very emotional.

[Angelica Castorino · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 secco. due storie carine ma il resto non mi sapevano di nulla. troppo sconclusionate

[Beele · Rating 3 out of 5]

scratch that, reverse it, we calling him riMIDalv

[Kathryn McCarrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant introduction to Nabokov! Messages to be gleaned from every tale, and I definitely spent time thinking on this book! My only regret is being slow in finishing which was out of my control. Would recommend and will definitely revisit this author.

[Josie Fitz]

I really liked this

[Robert Lampe · Rating 4 out of 5]

some amazing stories, some boring ones.
3.5 would be my rating, but as some stories stay behind, went with 4 stars. Loved the dragon one

[Joe Skilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ He only remembered that dream after he had arrived at the store where he worked, and he remembered it because a friend of his, jolly Adolf, poked him in the ribs. For one instant something flew open in his soul, momentarily froze still in surprise, and slammed shut.


****

The inclination of her head bared the back of her neck, revealing the ripple of her vertebrae, the fair bloom, the tender hollow between her shoulder blades, and the sun through the leaves found fiery strands in her chestnut hair.


****

I shall be frank with you, dear friend. I've been struggling with myself for quite some-time, but now I feel compelled to tell you... My dear friend, I like to travel in silence.


****


The low-ceilinged barbershop smelled of stale roses.
Horseflies hummed hotly, heavily. The sunlight blazed on the floor in puddles of molten honey,


****

People flashed past, accompanied by their blue shadows, which broke over the edge of the sidewalk and glided fearlessly underneath the glittering wheels of cars that left ribbonlike imprints on the heat-softened asphalt, resembling the ornate lacework of snakes.

*****


He had arrived in this ancient port in the south of France the day before, from Constantinople, where life had grown unbearable for him.

****

Something akin to a falling star hurtled through his memory, and, forgetting about his beer, he followed her as she turned into a dark, glistening alley.


****

A falling star shot by with the suddenness of a missed heartbeat. A strong, clean gust blew through his hair, pale in the nocturnal radiance.


****

Nothing was left but a wondrously subtle scent in the room, of birch, of humid moss...”

[Jin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🌟

So whimsical and delightfully written. Rather than being invested in each story I was more impressed with the way they were written.

Overall the short stories provided a nice palate cleanser when I was rereading ‘Brave New World’. This was also a taste test to see if I could enjoy Nabokov’s writing style. The way he wrote made it easy for me to visualise the described details with a clarity I don’t often find with other writers. This allowed me to just really immerse myself in the prose. Found myself going over various passages multiple times just enjoying the good writing.

So definitely more Nabokov in the future.
Might go for ‘Pale Fire’ because I love novels with fun structure.

Stories of note:

‘A Nursery Tale’ - wtf Erwin ew, hope you trip over a pebble and crash into the pavement. But Frau Monde, you were fun. I wish you were the story.

‘The Dragon’ - was silly, I enjoyed it immensely.

‘A Forgotten Poet’, ‘The Wood-Sprite’ and ‘Perfection’ were my favourites.

[Tal · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are not at all what I expected from this book, however, I’m quite pleased with some of them.
There were a few that I disliked a bit but for the most part they were wonderful stories.
As I kept reading, the stories got better and better and so, obviously, the last one is my favourite.
Nabakov writes in a fascinating style. I felt like I was solving riddles the whole time. And those riddles unlocked very accurate and succinct feelings that he is trying to convey.
I don’t think that the vivid emotions and settings would have impacted me as much if not for his strange way of storytelling.
Gave it 3 stars because I hated one of the stories, the rest were good though

[&rea Suven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge, a narrative dish so well served in rich symbolism, functioning almost on multiple disturbing and ironic levels. The grotesque embodiment of jealousy, the surreality of death, the insensible almost comical act of revenge. It’s the best story in this Nabokov collection.

I guess, Nabokov is asking all of us, “What if your dreams betrayed you?”

[Mark Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing can be exquisite and hilarious. One sentence was so funny and perfect I didn’t quite know how to handle it.

At other times, descriptively overwrought for my liking. Some of the stories are too weird frankly.

[Nithesh S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dunno if I was able to relate to the émigré-focused short stories in this collection, but I was sure as hell impressed by the imagery and character development within them. I loved the short stories “Details of a Sunset,” “Revenge,” “Razor,” and “The Dragon.”

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I picked up this book in a small bookstore with only Russian and Eastern European authors. It is the first I’ve read of Nabokov and I enjoy his writing style.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my! At first I thought this book was going to go the way of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover. It didn't -- at least, not quite.

[Sebastian Loftus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection. The story about the dragon was fantastic.

[John McPhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read. A dozen short mostly fun stories. I enjoyed it for a change of pace. Good way to get a sense of a literary giant without reading 800 page tome!

[William Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Nursery Tale", "Easter Rain", "The Dragon", and "Revenge" are particularly stand-out, unique tales in this short work.

[mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading this all in two days felt like a confusing fever dream but i loved it.

[anna nabipoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely short stories. took me a while to pick up the writing style but i got there! 1000% recency bias but i think my favourite story would have to be the last one.

[Dillon Staveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what short fiction is meant to be. Beauty, ludic entertainment, wit, drive. The joy of reading confronts the joy of writing in this collection. Simply phenomenal.

[YuiHirasawaFan · Rating 4 out of 5]

there's just something about nabokov's prose, man. it's like he's leading you in a partner dance. every phrase has such a beautiful flow to it, you just glide along the pages to his music. he's verbose but never snobby. he's brilliant.

[Chris Navas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Vladimir Nabokov you've forever charmed me. I kept widening my eyes at the amount of detail strained through the seemingly mundane instances presented here.

His imagination pulls through with flying colors, images of textural depth jumping desperately off of the page so to escape the reality of Nabokov's words.

My favorites were: details of a sunset, a nursery tale, the dragon, revenge, the wood sprite, and music

[Matias Vasquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

(read in the new penguin edition)

They weren't quite gems, but there were a few unpolished pebbles of interesting shades in here. First Love and Perfection were nice, especially Perfection. overall, can't recommend. there are better stories to read out there than these. but again, Perfection was really nice.

[linh · Rating 4 out of 5]

smells like orto parisi’s boccanera