{"product_id":"the-magicians-doubts-nabokov-and-the-risks-of-fiction-paperback","title":"The Magician's Doubts: Nabokov and the Risks of Fiction - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichael Wood\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a child in Russia, Vladimir Nabokov enjoyed conjuring: \"I loved doing simple tricks--turning water into wine, that kind of thing.\" In this engrossing book Michael Wood explores the blend of arrogance and mischief that makes Nabokov such a fascinating and elusive master of fiction. Wood argues that Nabokov is neither the aesthete he liked to pretend to be nor the heavy-handed moralist recent critics make him. Major works like \u003ci\u003ePnin, Lolita, Pale Fire\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAda\u003c\/i\u003e appear in a new light, but there are also chapters on earlier works, like \u003ci\u003ethe Real Life of Sebastian Knight\u003c\/i\u003e; on selected short stories; and on the translation of \u003ci\u003eEugene Onegin, \u003c\/i\u003e as well as detailed discussions of Nabokov's ideas of literature, memory, pity, and pain. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The book comes fully to terms with Nabokov's blend of playfulness and seriousness, delving into the real delight of reading him and the odd disquiet that lurks beneath that pleasure. Wood's speculations spin outward to illuminate the ambiguities and aspirations of the modern novel, and to raise the question of how we uncover \"the author\" in a work, without falling into the obvious biographical traps. \u003ci\u003eThe Magician's Doubts\u003c\/i\u003e slices through the dustier conventions of criticism and never loses sight of the emotional and sensual pleasure of reading.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Michael Wood's study of Nabokov is a stunningly brilliant analysis of how, as he says, the sly idiot, the haughty mandarin, and the great, doubting magician get along together in works like \u003ci\u003eLolita\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAda\u003c\/i\u003e.... In his own beautifully supple and attractive prose, [Wood] renders his insights with grace and wisdom. \u003ci\u003eThe Magician's Doubts\u003c\/i\u003e is, quite simply, a wonderful book, not to be passed up.\"\u003cb\u003e--Edward Said\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Wood\u003c\/b\u003e is Charles Barnwell Straut Professor of English at Princeton University. His previous works include \u003ci\u003eStendhal\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAmerica in the Movies\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 260\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.68 x 9.17 x 6.13 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 18, 1998\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52702506156339,"sku":"9780691048307","price":87.37,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/L1gxU0pldHVBL0xEdkpDZmk0eWVIdz09.webp?v=1763308859","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/the-magicians-doubts-nabokov-and-the-risks-of-fiction-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}