Nabokov has an amazing amount of authority as a writer. He uses his essay to create a whole new experience for his readers. He holds the keys to their minds and what they think and see while reading his work. He can dictate what is said, and control the reader in a way no one else can. Throughout the essay Nabokov uses cleaver rhetorical devices and astounding vocabulary and imagery to grab the audience’s attention and bring them back to his points and the messages that he wants them to hear.
Nabokov uses his writing ‘voice’ to control the reader. He writes the essay smoothly and calmly and makes it inviting for the audience to read. Though it is almost unknown to the reader, they find themselves drawn to his work because of the way he presents his topics and how he words things just right.
Though the reader may find his work extremely comfortable and nonchalant to read, they come out learning something new, and Nabokov had no trouble getting his points across to the reader. All of these things together create the perfect essay: interesting, comfortable, and educational. Nabokov is certainly a master at writing, and his authority as a writer can be seen everywhere in the essay.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Nabokov Question #6
Nabokov arouses the reader’s interest by introducing the essay with a quote. He discusses a letter sent from a man to his mistress that says, “What a scholar one might be if one knew well only some half a dozen books.” (Nabokov par 2) What this man meant when he wrote his letter was that to be a good reader you have to read more than one book and you must read different genres of literature. This is a smart way to start off the essay because it is not boring and it is an actual thing someone once said. It is also a smart way for Nabokov to start off the essay because he uses this quote to tell the readers what his essay is going to be mainly about, which is that to be a good reader you must open yourself to different books and genres.
In closing the essay, Nabokov wraps up his ideas and starts describing what a writer should be to a reader. He says that a writer should be a storyteller, and enchanter, and a teacher. He then says the facets of a great writer are magic, lesson, and story and talks about how these three elements can come together and form a wonderful story. He says my favorite line, “a wise reader reads a book of genius not with his heart, not so much with his brain, but with his spine.” Then he describes a writer as a person making a castle of cards while the readers watch as his card castle changes and becomes “a castle of beautiful steel and glass”
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
In closing the essay, Nabokov wraps up his ideas and starts describing what a writer should be to a reader. He says that a writer should be a storyteller, and enchanter, and a teacher. He then says the facets of a great writer are magic, lesson, and story and talks about how these three elements can come together and form a wonderful story. He says my favorite line, “a wise reader reads a book of genius not with his heart, not so much with his brain, but with his spine.” Then he describes a writer as a person making a castle of cards while the readers watch as his card castle changes and becomes “a castle of beautiful steel and glass”
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Nabokov Question #5
Nabokov organizes his essay like this: he corrects and then he begins to instruct. In the start of the essay he goes through these few ideas: That you should always read a book like it was something brand new (par. 3), that you can’t learn about the past by reading a book (par.4), that the writer of a book is a creator and can make and do what he wants in a book (par. 5). He corrects readers and writers and pretty much says ‘this is how things should be done. This is true and it will always be true’. After he states the truth, he gives the readers a series of questions and asks what things a reader needs to be a good reader (par 6-7). He tests them to see what they know. After that, he gives them the answer and starts instructing and discussing topics like what kind of imagination you should use when reading a book, and what kind of temperament we should have. He then goes into discussing what Literature is, and what it should be to us. He wraps up the story by talking about great writers and what a writer should try to have readers view them as. He talks about what qualities a writer needs and how they should be seen. Nabokov cleverly connects all his ideas and bounces back and forth, discussing how to be a good reader and how to be a good writer. He balances out both of his rhetorical questions and answers them in full by the end of the essay.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Nabokov Question #4
The ideas expressed in paragraph 12 and 13 are rather interesting to me. The reason for this is because what he says on what kind of imagination you should use while reading is something most people would find to be almost opposite of what they believed.
He says that the imagination and the emotions you feel while reading should not be on a personal level. He says, “So what is the authentic instrument to be used by the reader? It is impersonal imagination and artistic delight.” (Nabokov par 12) He goes into describing that most people treasure a book because it reminds them of a place they once knew or something that happened to them. Or it might evoke a place they remember from their past. He says that the worst thing one person can do is identify himself with a character in the book. This is practically what everyone does when reading a book and Nabokov says this is wrong.
At first this confused me, made me think, “well…that’s not how I would say that..” but then once I thought about it, it made perfect sense. In the next paragraph he says, “What should be established, I think, is an artistic harmonious balance between the reader’s mind and the author’s mind.” (Nabokov par. 13) He means you need to try and focus not only on what you yourself are imagining the story to be, but what the author wanted you to imagine the story to be. He’s saying you need to try and see what the author wanted you to see. To appreciate what the author wanted his readers to think when reading their story. You should treasure the story because it’s a good story, not because you like the characters or the setting or the time period.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
He says that the imagination and the emotions you feel while reading should not be on a personal level. He says, “So what is the authentic instrument to be used by the reader? It is impersonal imagination and artistic delight.” (Nabokov par 12) He goes into describing that most people treasure a book because it reminds them of a place they once knew or something that happened to them. Or it might evoke a place they remember from their past. He says that the worst thing one person can do is identify himself with a character in the book. This is practically what everyone does when reading a book and Nabokov says this is wrong.
At first this confused me, made me think, “well…that’s not how I would say that..” but then once I thought about it, it made perfect sense. In the next paragraph he says, “What should be established, I think, is an artistic harmonious balance between the reader’s mind and the author’s mind.” (Nabokov par. 13) He means you need to try and focus not only on what you yourself are imagining the story to be, but what the author wanted you to imagine the story to be. He’s saying you need to try and see what the author wanted you to see. To appreciate what the author wanted his readers to think when reading their story. You should treasure the story because it’s a good story, not because you like the characters or the setting or the time period.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Nabokov Question #3
Nabokov clearly uses rhetorical devices in his essay to wonder the reader and to give the essay a stronger grip on the readers mind. He uses allusion, metaphor, and personification throughout his essay, and these devices give his work life.
The most important metaphor that can be found in Nabokov’s essay is found in paragraph 10. Here he compares a book to a painting. His basic reason for using this metaphor is to say that a book, like a painting, has depth and deeper meaning, you just have to look at a little longer to see it all. He’s saying that you should re-read books so you can see the book as a whole.
Personification can be found in paragraphs 15 and 16. Here is when he describes literature as if it was something living. He describes it as being “born”. He says that it is an invention. He also personifies Nature, saying that it deceives and that a “writer of fiction only follows Nature’s lead.” (Nabokov par. 16)
Nabokov uses many different allusions. These can be found all over the essay. He throws them in to use as examples, and things the reader can use to better understand what point he is trying to get across. In the very beginning of the essay he uses the allusion of Flaubert and the letter to start off and get the audience thinking. (Nabokov par. 2) He then uses the allusion of Madame Bovary in paragraph 3. In paragraph 4 he talks about Jane Austen and Bleak House. In paragraph 15 he talks about the story of the boy who cried wolf. These are used to put depth in his essay.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
The most important metaphor that can be found in Nabokov’s essay is found in paragraph 10. Here he compares a book to a painting. His basic reason for using this metaphor is to say that a book, like a painting, has depth and deeper meaning, you just have to look at a little longer to see it all. He’s saying that you should re-read books so you can see the book as a whole.
Personification can be found in paragraphs 15 and 16. Here is when he describes literature as if it was something living. He describes it as being “born”. He says that it is an invention. He also personifies Nature, saying that it deceives and that a “writer of fiction only follows Nature’s lead.” (Nabokov par. 16)
Nabokov uses many different allusions. These can be found all over the essay. He throws them in to use as examples, and things the reader can use to better understand what point he is trying to get across. In the very beginning of the essay he uses the allusion of Flaubert and the letter to start off and get the audience thinking. (Nabokov par. 2) He then uses the allusion of Madame Bovary in paragraph 3. In paragraph 4 he talks about Jane Austen and Bleak House. In paragraph 15 he talks about the story of the boy who cried wolf. These are used to put depth in his essay.
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Nabokov Question #2
I think that Nabokov’s tone is didactic and matter-of-fact. The author is educating and instructing the reader on how to be good readers and good writers and giving them a series of rules to follow and clever tips on how to prepare to read and write. He educates and is teaching us how to become better readers and what skills we need to harness to be good writers also. Nabokov is also matter-of-fact in his tone, and is not emotional and is to the point.
As Nabokov writes, you find that his sole purpose in giving this lecture is to instruct others on how they can be better and more efficient when reading and writing. He tests the audience, asks them questions. He tries to see what their opinion is and then corrects them in their false beliefs. You can directly see his strong instruction in paragraphs 8 and 9. In paragraph 8 he gives a series of questions, and in 9 he gives the answer. He first asks the audience what qualities and items a reader needs to be effective and then gives them the answer, saying, “the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense” (Nabokov par. 9)
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
As Nabokov writes, you find that his sole purpose in giving this lecture is to instruct others on how they can be better and more efficient when reading and writing. He tests the audience, asks them questions. He tries to see what their opinion is and then corrects them in their false beliefs. You can directly see his strong instruction in paragraphs 8 and 9. In paragraph 8 he gives a series of questions, and in 9 he gives the answer. He first asks the audience what qualities and items a reader needs to be effective and then gives them the answer, saying, “the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense” (Nabokov par. 9)
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
Nabokov Question#1
The thesis in “Good Readers and Good Writers” was not stated outright and is implicit. It is simply interwoven into the writing, and as you read through the essay, starts to come out and reveal itself as Nabokov connects all his ideas together. The thesis is simply a series of rules on how to go about being a good reader and writer. Once the essay is finished, the thesis is clear. It is this: A good reader should look at a book like a work of art, should be open to it as if it was something brand new to them, should be imaginative and should attempt to connect with the author while reading the book. A good writer should be a storyteller, a teacher, and an enchanter. These two sentences are the outline for the story and are woven and cleverly placed amongst Nabokov’s work.
The thesis is placed in different points in the essay. The first sentence of the thesis can be found in the beginning paragraphs. It says in paragraph two that a reader should look at a book like a work of art and treat it as “something brand new” (Nabokov par. 2) Later on, Nabokov gives a quiz and then answers it by saying that “the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense” (Nabokov par. 9) He also says that there should be an “artistic harmonious balance between the reader’s mind and the author’s mind” (Nabokov par. 14) This is revealing his opinion that the reader should try and connect with the author in what they are saying.
The second part of the thesis, the one of writers, is seen in paragraph 19. He says, “A major writer combines theses three—storyteller, teacher, and enchanter—but it is the enchanter in him that predominates and makes him a major writer.”
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
The thesis is placed in different points in the essay. The first sentence of the thesis can be found in the beginning paragraphs. It says in paragraph two that a reader should look at a book like a work of art and treat it as “something brand new” (Nabokov par. 2) Later on, Nabokov gives a quiz and then answers it by saying that “the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense” (Nabokov par. 9) He also says that there should be an “artistic harmonious balance between the reader’s mind and the author’s mind” (Nabokov par. 14) This is revealing his opinion that the reader should try and connect with the author in what they are saying.
The second part of the thesis, the one of writers, is seen in paragraph 19. He says, “A major writer combines theses three—storyteller, teacher, and enchanter—but it is the enchanter in him that predominates and makes him a major writer.”
Nabokov, Vladimir. “Good Readers and Good Writers”. Lectures on Literatures. 1948. Lecture. PDF file.
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