A writer writing about writing may seem like a case of insider baseball, but reading about Nabokov's early days as a scribe in "Speak, Memory" is actually a novel way to witness the evolution of a little boy into a famous writer. Vladimir begins as a little synesthete boy who comes of age to write disastrous (and published) love poetry, and later relevant and daring novels and memoirs. Want to know how to be a writer? This might not be the book for you. But want to witness the evolution of how Vladimir Nabokov the Russian kidlet became the Vladimir Nabokov the celebrated writer? This is a good place to get started.
Questions About Literature & Writing
- Can reading about a writer help you learn how to be a better one? What are some moments in the book that might make you think so?
- Nabokov ultimately became a successful writer. What if he hadn't? Would you still want to read the book?
- How does Vladimir's attitude toward writing change throughout the book?
Chew on This
Because Nabokov is a writer, the way he tells the story is just as important as how the story is told.
Since Nabokov steals from his own life to write fiction, the line between fiction and nonfiction has become blurred.