snippets from letters to vera (mr. nabokov)

 Oh Mr. Nabokov.... 

Lolita was one of my favorite reads from 2023 and is on a permanent and constant re-read list for me. This is high high praise for any novel imho.

This collection of letters from Vladimir to his wife are beautiful, obsessive, inspirational and most importantly feel like praying into an intimate love. 

I'll be just typing out a few bits of letters. If you want exact locations, please feel free to look them up in the Modern Classics edition from Penguin.

modern classics cover

"I dreamt of you last night-as if I was playing the piano and you were turning the pages for me." VN to VéN, 12 January 1924

"How I wish you were saying, right now, with feeling: 'But you promised me!?...' I love you, my sun, my life, I love your eyes- closed- all the little tails of your thoughts, your stretchy vowels, your whole soul from head to heels."

"Do you know that you are my happiness? You are made entirely of tiny arrow-like movements- I love every one of them."

This will be a slow read for me. Taking my time. I will dip in and out of these letters as my mood moves me.

Happy epistolatory reading to you as well.