Discussion in class, which means letting twenty young blockheads and two cocky neurotics discuss something that neither their teacher nor they know. Vladimir Nabokov blockheadclasscocky Change image and share on social
Happy is the novelist who manages to preserve an actual love letter that he received when he was young within a work of fiction, embedded in it like a clean bullet in flabby flesh and quite secure there, among spurious lives. Vladimir Nabokov actualbulletclean share on social
I would like to spare the time and effort of hack reviewers and, generally, persons who move their lips when reading. Vladimir Nabokov effortgenerallyhack Change image and share on social
There are aphorisms that, like airplanes, stay up only while they are in motion. Vladimir Nabokov airplaneaphorismmotion Change image and share on social
A work of art has no importance whatever to society. It is only important to the individual. Vladimir Nabokov artimportanceimportant Change image and share on social
Complacency is a state of mind that exists only in retrospective: it has to be shattered before being ascertained. Vladimir Nabokov ascertaincomplacencyexist Change image and share on social
It is hard, I submit, to loathe bloodshed, including war, more than I do, but it is still harder to exceed my loathing of the very nature of totalitarian states in which massacre is only an administrative detail. Vladimir Nabokov administrativebloodsheddetail share on social
Satire is a lesson, parody is a game. Vladimir Nabokov gamelessonparody Change image and share on social
Imagination, the supreme delight of the immortal and the immature, should be limited. In order to enjoy life, we should not enjoy it too much. Vladimir Nabokov delightenjoyimagination Change image and share on social
To play safe, I prefer to accept only one type of power: the power of art over trash, the triumph of magic over the brute. Vladimir Nabokov acceptartbrute Change image and share on social
