Lectures on Literature

Frequently asked questions

• Which books does Nabokov discuss?

  The central lectures cover Mansfield Park, Bleak House, Madame Bovary, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Swann’s Way, The Metamorphosis, and Ulysses. The collection also includes broader pieces on reading and literary art.

• Is this a guide to writing fiction?

  Not primarily. It is a collection of close readings drawn from Nabokov’s literature courses. Writers may find his attention to structure, imagery, style, and detail useful, but the book is organized around reading and criticism rather than step-by-step writing instruction.

• How was the book assembled?

  Fredson Bowers edited the volume from Nabokov’s teaching manuscripts and notes after Nabokov’s death. It includes an introduction by John Updike and reproductions of Nabokov’s annotations, diagrams, and classroom materials.

• Are these lectures transcripts of actual classroom sessions?

  These texts were reconstructed by Fredson Bowers from the handwritten notes and typed manuscripts Nabokov used while teaching at Wellesley and Cornell, rather than being verbatim transcripts of spoken lectures.

• How do these lectures relate to Nabokov's own fiction?

  The lectures serve as a practical demonstration of his personal aesthetic, often revealing his disdain for literature that relies on social commentary or moralizing rather than the specific, sensory details of a created world.