"Symbols and Signs" by Vladimir Nabokov

Without a doubt Vladimir Nabokov is one of my very favorite writers. In fact, of all the stories I've read, since I began this project, "Symbols and Signs" (1948) has to be one of my favorites.

Of course, I don't dare proceed without mentioning my love of Lolita (which in a strange way, ties back to yesterday's reading, since Nabakov's Lolita and Nutting's Tampa have sexual predators, who prey on children, in common).

Nabokov's stories are so carefully crafted that they appear to be not crafted at all, and his characters are interesting, complex, likeable and tragic (like the incredulous Humbert Humbert!) But more than this, there is a tangibility to his stories that not all authors can master. His precision with respect to the description of scene is uncanny; always there is just enough to drop a reader directly into the middle of it all, but not so much as to overwhelm her.

But, I think what I enjoy most about Nabokov is the bold confidence he exudes on the page. He shows no fear.

See for yourself:

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1948/05/15/1948_05_15_031_TNY_CARDS_000214135?currentPage=all