Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
8th out of 81 books
—
32 voters
Transparent Things
"Transparent Things revolves around the four visits of the hero - sullen, gawky Hugh Person - to Switzerland... As a young publisher, Hugh is sent to interview R., falls in love with Armande on the way, wrests her, after multiple humiliations, from a grinning Scandinavian and returns to NY with his bride... Eight years later - following a murder, a period of madness and a...more
Paperback, 105 pages
Published
October 23rd 1989
by Vintage
(first published 1972)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,073)
I read this exhilarating novella in a two-hour burst, knees bumped with bliss, hands clasped in delight, eyes lacquered to the page.
This is Nabokov's penultimate novel, before the "doddery" (so says Martin Amis) Look at the Harelquins, and not including his unfinished posthumous one, The Original of Laura. This is part of his trilogy of "nympholepsy novels" (so says Amis again), and shows the cartwheeling prose gymnastics of the last great Russian writer at their finest.
Essential.
This is Nabokov's penultimate novel, before the "doddery" (so says Martin Amis) Look at the Harelquins, and not including his unfinished posthumous one, The Original of Laura. This is part of his trilogy of "nympholepsy novels" (so says Amis again), and shows the cartwheeling prose gymnastics of the last great Russian writer at their finest.
Essential.
A novel will always find it difficult to stand firm on the sole pillar of style. Nabokov's attempt to achieve this is exemplary, here not any more than elsewhere. And perhaps the fallout is intentional: All English novels by Nabokov have to feel, in varying degrees, like experiments in style rooted in a dark satire.
Plot-less prose, basically. Some smug verbiage in the garb of all all-knowing narrator. There is no story that one can promptly recite, though I find it worthy to elaborate the novel'...more
Plot-less prose, basically. Some smug verbiage in the garb of all all-knowing narrator. There is no story that one can promptly recite, though I find it worthy to elaborate the novel'...more
At least four stars because:
It's Nabokov in full late-period stylistic glory. I've felt let down by a lot of Nabokov's work, but I keep reading him because I still remember the sense of occult glee I felt while walking home from the library at age 18, reading the opening pages of Lolita (which I'd checked out with the vague sense that it was the sort of thing one should have read before going to college) -- my first intimation that "literature" (that musty cathedral) might be more closely connec...more
It's Nabokov in full late-period stylistic glory. I've felt let down by a lot of Nabokov's work, but I keep reading him because I still remember the sense of occult glee I felt while walking home from the library at age 18, reading the opening pages of Lolita (which I'd checked out with the vague sense that it was the sort of thing one should have read before going to college) -- my first intimation that "literature" (that musty cathedral) might be more closely connec...more
Nabokov is having himself a grand old time here. He utilizes his mind-boggling vocabulary, facile turns of phrase, and sly smirking humor with an almost lazy ease, and at times, a heavy hand. It is at times laugh-out-loud funny, in a particular sort of zany way. Outrageous quirks. Satire in between parenthetical asides. That sort of thing.
HOWEVER.
unlikeable characters are not necessarily a bad thing, but it was hard for me to sympathize with the sardonic affection nabokov has for them as omnisci...more
HOWEVER.
unlikeable characters are not necessarily a bad thing, but it was hard for me to sympathize with the sardonic affection nabokov has for them as omnisci...more
As a resident of Geneva, I think of this book whenever I see a "No Dogs" sign. The French text says CHIENS INTERDITS... but, as Nabokov asks, why exactly should it be illegal to cross a poodle with a dachshund?
And his comments on the sad decline of Swiss hot chocolate are all too true. Note to unwary tourists: if you see chocolat chaud à l'ancienne on a café menu, don't assume this refers to real, old-fashioned, hand-made hot chocolate. It means, rather, that they will charge you CHF 5.50 for a...more
And his comments on the sad decline of Swiss hot chocolate are all too true. Note to unwary tourists: if you see chocolat chaud à l'ancienne on a café menu, don't assume this refers to real, old-fashioned, hand-made hot chocolate. It means, rather, that they will charge you CHF 5.50 for a...more
4 likes · like · see review
Previous Nabokov works on Nabokolia have received tongue-in-cheek list form summaries of major narrative events but Transparent Things did not warrant this treatment because the novel was not long enough. It seems more a novella than novel but I digress, let us get to the review.
Transparent Things felt like Pnin only more nightmarish. Maybe nightmarish is the wrong word, more cerebral, psychologically distressed…. I wrote a few days ago that TT felt very interior, turned in upon itself and I st...more
Transparent Things felt like Pnin only more nightmarish. Maybe nightmarish is the wrong word, more cerebral, psychologically distressed…. I wrote a few days ago that TT felt very interior, turned in upon itself and I st...more
"When we concentrate on a material object, whatever its situation, the very act of attention may lead to our involuntary sinking into the history of that object. Novices must learn to skim over matter if they want matter to stay at the exact level of the moment. Transparent things, through which the past shines!"- N, TT
Like almost every one of Nabokov's novels/novellas I've read so far, 'Transparent Things' has moments of absolute and immortal genius. I feel too there exists layers and ghosts in...more
Like almost every one of Nabokov's novels/novellas I've read so far, 'Transparent Things' has moments of absolute and immortal genius. I feel too there exists layers and ghosts in...more
This later novel of Nabokov's employs his customary latticework of vivid imagery and startlingly inventive turns of phrase to create a unified aesthetic structure, one that the properly perceptive reader may just be able to behold in one look, if the mind is so arranged. But in this case, it seemed to me the driving force came not from the pursuit of immortal art for the purpose of preserving beauty (we know it well from Lolita and Ada), but rather from an older man's vision (try as he might to...more
Transparent Things is an EP remix of elements from Pale Fire, Lolita. Love, murder.
Tracks include:
1. Moby's Love Remix
2. Orbital's Murder Remix
3. NIN's Memory Mix
4. Angelo Badalementi's Dream Mix (vocals by Julee Cruise)
European version includes:
5. Hotel of Flames Dance-Dub Mix (uncredited, but an ASCAP search revealed that it was performed/recorded by Aphex Twin and Robert Fripp.)
Tracks include:
1. Moby's Love Remix
2. Orbital's Murder Remix
3. NIN's Memory Mix
4. Angelo Badalementi's Dream Mix (vocals by Julee Cruise)
European version includes:
5. Hotel of Flames Dance-Dub Mix (uncredited, but an ASCAP search revealed that it was performed/recorded by Aphex Twin and Robert Fripp.)
Writing two pages about the history of the pencil - priceless. Recycling over and over again main characters and their circumstances (madness, murder) seems to confirm the inferiority of content as opposed to style, narration theory and the intricate relationship between reader and writer.
All of Nabokov's books are special, if only for their rich vocabulary and often puzzling mind games played by the author, but this cat-and-mouse twists become eventually tiring. And like Joyce, one cannot avoid...more
All of Nabokov's books are special, if only for their rich vocabulary and often puzzling mind games played by the author, but this cat-and-mouse twists become eventually tiring. And like Joyce, one cannot avoid...more
This is a chronicle of a melancholy and masochistic journey of a lone man to locations of poignant personal significance, in retrospect, in his tragic life. If you are a fan of Nabokov's, the main character is a version of the often-seen neurotic, intelligent, and soul-sick young man, who is bound by a passion into a path that seems always thwarted.
The leading man is awkward, self-critical, and highly intelligent. Nabokov knows how to render a "chance turn of events" - wherein the anti-hero fal...more
The leading man is awkward, self-critical, and highly intelligent. Nabokov knows how to render a "chance turn of events" - wherein the anti-hero fal...more
Having read "Lolita" before "Transparent Things," I found the themes in this book repetitive. A terrible relationship between an older man and younger woman followed by a murder?
With repeats in the details and character construction, I feel like Nabokov is giving his reader an intimate peep into his dating life.
The book could have used a more aggressive editor--an oddity considering part of the book includes conversation between an editor and a very stubborn author--to take out some of the m...more
With repeats in the details and character construction, I feel like Nabokov is giving his reader an intimate peep into his dating life.
The book could have used a more aggressive editor--an oddity considering part of the book includes conversation between an editor and a very stubborn author--to take out some of the m...more
Ostensibly the tale of an odd American, and the memory of his four trips to a small village in Switzerland over the course of his life. The narrative provides an opportunity for reflection on this fellow’s turbulent life. Moreover, it affords the author the occasion to demonstrate a little literary flourish and walk the reader through themes of time, love, authorship, and the metaphysics of memory.
As such, it can be a little hard going. There’s a vivid description of the struggle our protagonist...more
As such, it can be a little hard going. There’s a vivid description of the struggle our protagonist...more
And I love "Lolita" so much! This is another tale of a seemingly sane man gone mad. However, it is very different from "Lolita." Very short chapters, plot interspersed with whimsical and philosophical meditations, about one Hugh Person who is revisiting his past and his one great love, the rather weird Armande. I did enjoy the parts about publishing and editing (Person is a low-level editor)--quite accurate! A few bits of the novel made me purse my lips in that a prurient interest is again taken...more
Reminiscent of his better-known "Pnin," Vladimir Nabokov's 1972 short novel "Transparent Things" is, like much of Nabokov's writing, full of humorous wordplay, back-and-forth movements in time, unreliable narration, and mockery of its characters. (Much of this book's humor comes from its copious use of parantheticals -- and from poking fun at the very use of such parantheticals.)
It's hard to say why "Transparent Things" doesn't get the same respect "Pnin" does, but it should; I may have enjoyed...more
It's hard to say why "Transparent Things" doesn't get the same respect "Pnin" does, but it should; I may have enjoyed...more
3 likes · like · see review
This is a fine little read, but above all I love its design. The title on the tar-black cover, written in dark, debossed lettering, reveals itself only when touched or tipped sideways in the light. The endpaper is solid scarlet, as if in opening the book, you have cut a deep gash that allows you to peer into its papery organs. If you are fortunate enough to come across a first edition of this novella, as I found at my local library, the book design alone is worth a thumb-through. But it doesn't...more
Love Nabokov. For someone whose first language is not English, this man writes some truly beautiful words. Possibly some of the most beautiful phrases I have ever read. Transparent Things is a book that has a lot of interesting ideas going on, specifically about what goes on beneath the surface and the things we cannot see. I love the way he has such a soft touch when speaking of relationships and emotions. His flow is amazing.
As an added bonus, I borrowed this book out of the library about 10...more
As an added bonus, I borrowed this book out of the library about 10...more
Se llama ‘Cosas transparentes’ pero este libro se puede calificar de cualquier cosa antes que “transparente”. Confieso que hay partes que no sé de qué iban, y que probablemente parte del significado general se me ha escapado. El estilo de Vladimir Nabokov nunca es simple pero aquí llega a unos límites de ofuscación nada desdeñables. En todo caso es puro Nabokov y hay muchas de sus obsesiones recurrentes: tenis, niñas precoces, literatos cultos y grises, un asesinato, coincidencias caprichosas, e...more
This summer, Nabokov has been my go-to author when I want something that is beautifully written, is carefully plotted, and has themes that linger.
The first page offers this: "transparent things, through which the past shines!" Nabokov subtly and loosely weaves the plot around these transparent things as the protagonist travels through unpleasant reminiscences, and the story really does feel like the half-memory, half-dream that it is. So many authors use memory-lane plots to cover up sloppy plo...more
The first page offers this: "transparent things, through which the past shines!" Nabokov subtly and loosely weaves the plot around these transparent things as the protagonist travels through unpleasant reminiscences, and the story really does feel like the half-memory, half-dream that it is. So many authors use memory-lane plots to cover up sloppy plo...more
Wow. Lolita gets all of the press thanks to its scandalous subject matter (and it's an amazing novel), but Transparent Things deserves to come out of its shadow. So tightly constructed -- this is Nabokov's third-to-last novel (counting the one that came out posthumously), and he is at the height of every single one of his powers -- linguistically, structurally, philosophically... As soon as I finished I turned back to page 1 and re-read it.
Almost finished with the mission to read all of his nove...more
Almost finished with the mission to read all of his nove...more
The only post-Pale Fire Nabokov I have read. Unmistakable signs of creative decline. All the Nabokovean tics are on parade: the misogynistic and egomaniacal protagonist, the disdain for Freud and the far left, the translated Russian and untranslated French, the implausible sexual episodes, the heavily foreshadowed murder, etc. But the novel has an air of zestless inconsequence, like the work of a trivial imitator such as Banville. Even the wordplay is mediocre: e.g. Hugh Person/You Person, and a...more
My copy of this book is wasted because it's fallen off the bed into bad book positions so many nights, split open behind the bed board or splayed under a glass of water. I have read some passages in it a hundred times, and nothing cures insomnia like trying to memorize Nabokov's intricate strings of ridiculous analogies and metaphors. Ridiculous but brilliant. For instance, "...the way he fumbled for things in the bathwater of space, groping for the transparent soap of evasive matter.." Oh my go...more
A perfect novella. You can have your 1,000+ page encyclopedic mammoths of verbose density of such mind-warpage that you must compile dictionaries of new concepts and schematized flow charts of character interrelations (and I can have them too); but sometimes 105 pages of flawless, tautly interwoven pulses of prose is all that's required to send a lover of words into ecstasy. Transparent Things also happens to be a concise formulation and summation of the ineffable eternal crystalwork that is 'Na...more
27 likes · like · see review
How appropriate that in a bout of insomnia I should have read the 128 pages of Transparent Things. Nabokov presents to us Hugh Person, a spectral narrator recounting particularly those portions of his life spent in Witt, Switzerland. Person, a familiar Nabokovian unreliable narrator, tells us of his childhood bouts with insomnia, somnambulism, and intense nightmares, thoroughly steeping us in these afflictions before mentioning his somnambulant strangling of his peculiarly presented wife Armande...more
Nov 06, 2007
Jim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like to study books not simply read them
When I first started this book I suspected it was going to be a triumph of form over content. I'm not sure that either won out in the end. It is an odd book but odd is good. The story in itself is not especially odd, nor is it particularly exciting; the story, the who did what to whom, is the least important aspect of the book. It is the narrator that has the most powerful voice in this book and he is not your typical narrator by a long chalk.
The book deals with the present but always its relati...more
The book deals with the present but always its relati...more
Nabokov could write what he had for lunch and I'd read it eagerly. It is no surprise this book was lovely in prose with intricately spun layers of meaning, humor and wit. Having read Ada somewhat recently, this book felt more direct and disciplined in narrative. Ada was a delightful indulgent high-brow fantasy novel. This was more of a direct study with fantastic asides. I also found the literary world descriptions quite interesting. It must have been amusing for editors of the original draft.
I should probably take a break from Nabokov, because I think I'm starting to take the incredible quality of his writing for granted. This was the easiest, and shortest, work of his that I've read. I think Nabokov liked his main character while knowing that the reader wouldn't, and there's no really likable character in the book/story. Except for maybe Julia and a few other minor young women, pretty much everyone is unpleasant. Makes it slightly less enjoyable, but still, it's well worth the time...more
Full of Nabokovian prose, though maybe a little less focused than the other books I've read by him. I think the point, though, is always his language, letting yourself get swept up in the passion he has for linguistic invention, the way he can turn what would be overwrought if written by another hand into part of a cohesive, perfectly stated whole. Not Nabokov's best book, but a pleasant and short diversion into his world.
for nabokov it always turns to sex with young girls ... it truly doesn't matter his starting point or his hope of developing a transcendent book, he just can't help himself. i suppose sex with young nubile women is all he really has to share. and his dislike of any woman who is not young and nubile (that's half the human race) just can't enter into his mind as reasonable character types worth writing about.
It's slight (few pages) and sleight. (Just found out that word is related to the word sly. It figures.) Nabokov "floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee," as one might say (with that dapper old rapper, our own Ali). The title? Everything has layers you can see through, deeper and deeper. So, early on, you meet the otherwise plot-irrelevant worker (male) extruding the lead to put in this pencil you find in the back of an otherwise empty drawer in your shoddy room in the old hotel which you sta...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Russian: Владимир Владимирович Набоков
Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist. He also made significant contributions to lepidoptery and had an interest in chess problems.
Nabokov's Lolita (1955) is frequently cited as his most important novel, and is at any rate his most widely known one, exhibiting the love of intrica...more
More about Vladimir Nabokov...
Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist. He also made significant contributions to lepidoptery and had an interest in chess problems.
Nabokov's Lolita (1955) is frequently cited as his most important novel, and is at any rate his most widely known one, exhibiting the love of intrica...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Perhaps if the future existed, concretely and individually, as something that could be discerned by a better brain, the past would not be so seductive: its demands would be balanced by those of the future.”
—
5 people liked it
“This is, I believe, it: not the crude anguish of physical death but the incomparable pangs of the mysterious mental maneuver needed to pass from one state of being to another.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
Feb 25, 2011 11:51am