The criticism of dictatorships in the writings of Vladimir Nabokov

Peter McEllhenney

If Vladimir Nabokov were alive today, and read that headline, he might well declare it was silly and stupid and wrong (although he would say it with a great deal more humor and fluency).

Nabokov insisted that there were no “messages” in his work. He expressed contempt for literature that discussed general ideas or offered social commentary, that dealt with everyday reality or promised human interest. He declared himself indifferent to politics, and expressed his satisfaction with never having joined any group or participated in any organized human activity.

Instead, Nabokov said he valued books that were grounded in the imagination and talent of the specific writer, and which offered aesthetic bliss that he recognized by a thrill in his spine.

All of this suggests that you won’t find a criticism of dictators, or any other political or social ideas, in Nabokov’s work. But here’s the thing. I don’t believe him. And neither should you.
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