…plots of Nabokov’s novels. There is no general agreement about the actual plot of Transparent Things, and a lot of argument over what really happened in Lolita. In many of his works, such as Pale Fire and Bend Sinister, you have to think a lot just to apprehend what the plot was, and when you get it, it is as if the author has emerged at the end to consume the story from the beginning, in a glorious spiral of invention.…
Obviously not s-f as such, but - quite a few novels by Nabokov. "The Luzhin Defence" (aka "The Defense"), "The Eye", "Bend Sinister", "Transparent Things" - all very immersing, and posing the question of what's the true reality, its underpinnings and seams. Challenging reads for sure, every detail matters. Some might recommend Pynchon…
I recently read Despair and Bend Sinister, both by Vladimir Nabokov, and enjoyed both greatly. David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest also deals with existentialism.
I find this kind of research and political science to be ill-equipped for explaining how people and society work. Fiction like Nabokov's Bend Sinister is able to get much closer to the truth of totalitarianism because it isn't shackled by having to present a thin veneer of data and science, and is more clearly influenced by the author's experiences…
I highly recommend reading some of his other books if you enjoyed Lolita - I find them to be more complicated (in a good way) and also written magnificently. The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Bend Sinister, Despair, 'Ada, or Ardor', Pale Fire, and Transparent Things are all personal favorites. But all of his novels are absurdly good. His short story 'Beneficence' may be may favorite piece of writing ever.…
……纳博科夫小说里的情节。《透明》的实际剧情到底是什么，大家基本没有统一意见；关于《洛丽塔》里究竟发生了什么，争论也多得很。而在他的很多作品中，比如《微暗的火》和《庶出的标志》，你得费好大劲琢磨才能明白剧情到底讲了啥；而一旦你搞懂了，就仿佛作者在结尾现身，以一种华丽奇妙的螺旋式构思，从头把整个故事给吞噬掉了。……
…plots of Nabokov’s novels. There is no general agreement about the actual plot of Transparent Things, and a lot of argument over what really happened in Lolita. In many of his works, such as Pale Fire and Bend Sinister, you have to think a lot just to apprehend what the plot was, and when you get it, it is as if the author has emerged at the end to consume the story from the beginning, in a glorious spiral of invention.…
显然严格来说不算科幻，但是——纳博科夫的好几本小说都很绝。《防守》（又译作《鲁仁防守》）、《眼睛》、《庶出的标志》、《透明》——全都极具代入感，并且在追问什么是真正的现实，探讨现实的基石与接缝。读起来绝对很有挑战性，每个细节都至关重要。可能有人会推荐品钦……
Obviously not s-f as such, but - quite a few novels by Nabokov. "The Luzhin Defence" (aka "The Defense"), "The Eye", "Bend Sinister", "Transparent Things" - all very immersing, and posing the question of what's the true reality, its underpinnings and seams. Challenging reads for sure, every detail matters. Some might recommend Pynchon…
我最近读了弗拉基米尔·纳博科夫的《绝望》和《庶出的标志》，两本都非常喜欢。大卫·福斯特·华莱士的《无尽的玩笑》也探讨了存在主义。
I recently read Despair and Bend Sinister, both by Vladimir Nabokov, and enjoyed both greatly. David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest also deals with existentialism.
大卫·福斯特·华莱士的《无尽的玩笑》。卡夫卡的《变形记》。弗拉基米尔·纳博科夫的《庶出的标志》。
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Metamorphosis by Kafka. Bend Sinister by Vladimir Nabokov.
我觉得这类研究和政治学根本没法解释人与社会是如何运转的。像纳博科夫的《庶出的标志》这样的小说，反而能更深入地触及极权主义的本质，因为它无需披着一层数据和科学的单薄外衣，而且更明显地受到了作者亲身经历的影响……
I find this kind of research and political science to be ill-equipped for explaining how people and society work. Fiction like Nabokov's Bend Sinister is able to get much closer to the truth of totalitarianism because it isn't shackled by having to present a thin veneer of data and science, and is more clearly influenced by the author's experiences…
如果你喜欢《洛丽塔》，我强烈推荐读读他的其他书——我觉得那些作品更复杂（褒义），而且写得极为华彩。《塞巴斯蒂安·奈特的真实生活》、《庶出的标志》、《绝望》、《阿达》、《微暗的火》和《透明》都是我个人的心头好。不过他所有的小说都好得离谱。他的短篇《行善》可能是我有史以来最喜欢的文字作品了。……
I highly recommend reading some of his other books if you enjoyed Lolita - I find them to be more complicated (in a good way) and also written magnificently. The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Bend Sinister, Despair, 'Ada, or Ardor', Pale Fire, and Transparent Things are all personal favorites. But all of his novels are absurdly good. His short story 'Beneficence' may be may favorite piece of writing ever.…