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The Original of Laura

(Dying Is Fun) A Novel in Fragments
By Vladimir Nabokov
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Original of Laura by Vladimir Nabokov is an unfinished novel that delves into themes of memory, mortality, and artistic creation. The narrative follows a neurologist named Philip Wild and his obsessive thoughts about his wife, Flora. Through fragmented and fluid storytelling, the book explores the complex interplay between desire, reality, and the nature of existence itself.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy delving into an author's unfinished work, offering a unique insight into the creative process of a legendary writer. Fans who appreciate Nabokov’s intricate wordplay and complex themes will find this fragmentary narrative both intriguing and thought-provoking, as it explores themes of love, death, and identity.

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The Original of Laura

Dr Philip Wild, a man of brilliance, wit, fortune and tremendous bulk, is used to suffering humiliations at the hands of his wife, the younger, slender, and rudely promiscuous Flora. But in a novel, a 'maddening masterpiece' documenting her infidelities, written by one of her lovers and given to the doctor, she appears as My Laura.

The late Vladimir Nabokov requested that this unfinished work be destroyed, but his son, Dmitri, did not oblige. The result is a remarkable, provocative look at Nabokov's creative genius.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The final masterwork that was nearly destroyed, from one of the greatest authors of the twentieth century.

Dr Philip Wild, a man of brilliance, wit, fortune and tremendous bulk, is used to suffering humiliations at the hands of his wife, the younger, slender, and rudely promiscuous Flora. But in a novel, a 'maddening masterpiece' documenting her infidelities, written by one of her lovers and given to the doctor, she appears as My Laura. Dishonoured, Wild still finds pleasure in life, by indulging in self-annihilation, beginning with the removal of his toes.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Original of Laura is seen as a controversial yet intriguing glimpse into Nabokov's unique narrative style, providing a fragmented storyline that reflects the complexity of his themes. Some reviewers appreciate the unfinished nature of the work as it allows readers insight into the creative process of a literary genius, showcasing his playful yet profound exploration of mortality and desire. Others express disappointment, noting that the incomplete manuscript leaves an impression of being both enigmatic and underdeveloped.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141191164

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 December 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Dmitri Nabokov

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 304

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics Vladimir Nabokov

About the Author

Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), born in St Petersburg, exiled in Cambridge, Berlin, and Paris, became the greatest Russian writer of the first half of the twentieth century. Fleeing to the US with his family in 1940, he then became the greatest writer in English of the second half of the century, and even 'God's own novelist' (William Deresiewicz). He lived in Europe from 1959 onwards, and died in Montreux, Switzerland. All his major works - novels, stories, an autobiography, poems, plays, lectures, essays and reviews - are published in Penguin Modern Classics.

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