Reviews

Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle by Vladimir Nabokov

sere_rev's review

2.0

DNF at 20%. This book feels like Nabokov was having too much fun showing off his mastery over language(s) to bother with anything as inconsequential as plot, world-building, or writing compelling characters. Good for him, but not for me.

jenmcmaynes's review

2.0

A disappointing chore of a book, especially coming after my appreciative re-read of Pale Fire. There were just too many aspects that left me wondering what was the point: the bizarre pseudo-historical mash up, the constant use of Russian and French (without translations in my edition), the constant shifting in tone and style, the chapters long discussions of Time or life on Antiterra. Even taking these stylistic and thematic issues out, the novel’s obsession with sex and female beauty was hard to read (and I even knew going into it that at its heart it was an incestuous love story), not because it was graphic (it wasn’t) but because the sense of white male entitlement was palpable. Basically, Nabokov’s usual wit and style were not enough to elevate this one for me.

souldentist's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Made the mistake of reading this with annotations alongside, which dulled the trilingual wordplay that is the point of reading Nabokov. A strong love story between two extremely flawed and generally unlovable aristocrats and, at times, just a retelling of The Aristocrats

broedo's review against another edition

4.0

It was a difficult journey, but I'm glad to have stuck with this one. I'm also really happy I was able to read this for pleasure and not through school, as I can certainly see the myriad points at which this novel can be discussed, dissected, and theorized upon. But it was nice to be able to read the often - but not always - tragic familial love story and to lose myself in the more theoretical wanderings that deviate from the plot.

I think this is one I will read again, but not for a long time, and I'm not sure how I'll approach it the second time around.

joeduncan's review

5.0

Don’t judge me. It’s good.

Revision: I have altered my rating to 5 stars instead of 4 after a couple days of sitting with it. This book is insistently special. Like his memoir, this book is a collage of images and witticism, but pushes beyond that (gladly since it eventually became stale in speak, memory) to become what is the best love story I have read in a novel. Nevermind that the lovers here are sexual deviants, Nobokov is unsettlingly good at assuaging moral concern. I can't rate this book anything else than perfect, even if I can't recommend it without some caveats.

keatsratbaby's review

funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A

4.5

dankthr0ne's review

challenging funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

janu0303's review

4.0

600 pages (out of which the last 50 or so where notes explaining the obscure Russian and French references), 116 looked-up words later, I finished Ada. I'm overwhelmed.

mrears0_0's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

iamother's review

adventurous emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest