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
There are aphorisms that, like airplanes, stay up only while they are in motion. Vladimir Nabokov airplaneaphorismmotion Change image and share on social
Satire is a lesson, parody is a game. Vladimir Nabokov gamelessonparody Change image and share on social
No author has created with less emphasis such pathetic characters as Chekhov has. Vladimir Nabokov authorcharacterchekhov Change image and share on social
I have often noticed that after I had bestowed on the characters of my novels some treasured item of my past, it would pine away in the artificial world where I had so abruptly placed it. Vladimir Nabokov abruptlyartificialbestow 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
Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man. Vladimir Nabokov butterflyliteratureman Change image and share on social
There is only one school of literature - that of talent. Vladimir Nabokov literatureschooltalent Change image and share on social
The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible. Vladimir Nabokov blankclamorefelt Change image and share on social