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Book Cover for: Laughter in the Dark, Vladimir Nabokov

Laughter in the Dark

Vladimir Nabokov

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"Once upon a time there lived in Berlin, Germany, a man called Albinus. He was rich, respectable, happy; one day he abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress; he loved; was not loved; and his life ended in disaster." Thus begins Vladimir Nabokov's Laughter in the Dark; this, the author tells us, is the whole story--except that he starts from here, with his characteristic dazzling skill and irony, and brilliantly turns a fable into a chilling, original novel of folly and destruction. Amidst a Weimar-era milieu of silent film stars, artists, and aspirants, Nabokov creates a merciless masterpiece as Albinus, an aging critic, falls prey to his own desires, to his teenage mistress, and to Axel Rex, the scheming rival for her affections who finds his greatest joy in the downfall of others.

Published first in Russian as Kamera Obskura in 1932, this book appeared in Nabokov's own English translation six years later. This New Directions edition, based on the text as Nabokov revised it in 1960, features a new introduction by Booker Prize-winner John Banville.

Book Details

  • Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
  • Publish Date: Sep 17th, 2006
  • Pages: 292
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.08in - 5.26in - 0.71in - 0.66lb
  • EAN: 9780811216746
  • Categories: • Classics• Literary

About the Author

Nabokov, Vladimir: - Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), one of the 20th century's greatest writers in both Russian and English, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and spent his adult life in Germany, France, the United States, and Switzerland. In addition to his literary work, he was a passionate lepidopterist and chess player. His books include Lolita, Pale Fire, The Real Light of Sebastian Knight, Laughter in the Dark, and many more.
Banville, John: - John Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of fourteen novels including The Book of Evidence, which was shortlisted for the 1989 Booker Prize. He lives in Dublin.

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Book Cover for: The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov, Vladimir Nabokov
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Book Cover for: Despair, Vladimir Nabokov
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What people are saying

Mentioner image for: SEEJ
SEEJ
@SEEJ_Tweets
5 years

The Slavic and East European Journal is published quartlery by the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL)

In SEEJ 63.2, Tatyana Gershkovich argues that when Vladimir Nabokov translated his novel Kamera obskura (1932) into English under the title Laughter in the Dark (1938), he significantly transformed its aesthetic concerns. https://t.co/o17RZJkSzj https://t.co/1FUht0E8L0

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Mentioner image for: BILL RYAN
BILL RYAN
@faceyouhate
2 years

"Ut!" - The Flaming Carrot Bylines at @bulwarkonline and @ebertvoices and @oscopelabs and @decider. i am ready & willing to be hired. https://t.co/d5BTT1POHR

@blankemon @deepimpactcrier @zach_vasquez @thamosdeaf This made me wonder what Frank is up to. I checked, and he's currently adapting LAUGHTER IN THE DARK by Vladimir Nabokov. How curious...

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Mentioner image for: Brad Phillips
Brad Phillips
@Brad___phillips
4 years

@places my work has been published

I recommend Leave Society by @tao_lin and Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov and The Killing Floor by Jack Reacher

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Praise for this book

Nabokov writes prose the only way it should be written--that is, ecstatically.-- "John Updike"

What people are saying

Mentioner image for: SEEJ
SEEJ
@SEEJ_Tweets
5 years

The Slavic and East European Journal is published quartlery by the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL)

In SEEJ 63.2, Tatyana Gershkovich argues that when Vladimir Nabokov translated his novel Kamera obskura (1932) into English under the title Laughter in the Dark (1938), he significantly transformed its aesthetic concerns. https://t.co/o17RZJkSzj https://t.co/1FUht0E8L0

twitter.com
Mentioner image for: BILL RYAN
BILL RYAN
@faceyouhate
2 years

"Ut!" - The Flaming Carrot Bylines at @bulwarkonline and @ebertvoices and @oscopelabs and @decider. i am ready & willing to be hired. https://t.co/d5BTT1POHR

@blankemon @deepimpactcrier @zach_vasquez @thamosdeaf This made me wonder what Frank is up to. I checked, and he's currently adapting LAUGHTER IN THE DARK by Vladimir Nabokov. How curious...

twitter.com
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