Reading Vlog: Vladimir Nabokov's 'The Luzhin Defense'

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@Andyboy-s8m 2 ай бұрын

Really love your channel - you're treating your viewers with respect. So far from the standard booktuber McDonalds-approach. Hope you liked Copenhagen, a big upvote from a Danish viewer!

@heather1628 2 ай бұрын

Firstly, this definitely wasn't too long and your videos are never boring. I find them comforting to just settle into and listen to your thoughts. Anyway, damn. I forget how dense Nabokov's writing can be haha. It must be so helpful and insightful to be reading it for a class and getting to discuss it with others. I don't think I would understand it all myself, but having a video like this is a great aid for going into a book like that. I keep thinking how crazily intricate Nabokov's mind must be because it's not easy to be that detailed and intentional and skip around narrators and yet still have it flow. It says a lot to me when one is able to read about a subject that one wouldn't necessarily be interested in, but the writing can make it engaging. It's also interesting to pick up on how opinionated Nabokov is and how he slots all of that into his writing without shame. Another really thought-provoking part for me was when you brought up the change from childhood to adulthood and how you have less sympathy for the adult. I've witnessed a family member transition into having Alzheimer's and it made me think of how they went from a child, to a very serious and reserved adult, and then almost back to a child but in an adult's body. And it's just an odd combination of wanting to treat someone like an adult, but they're actually behaving and responding like a child. Anyway, I could talk about human behaviour and its influences and impacts for ages. It's fascinating. Thanks for the video! And congrats for 2k subs!

@agwriting 2 ай бұрын

I completely agree, I don't think I would enjoy or even read some of these books at all if I didn't have the class to go along with it. It really helps to understand context, what ideas the author wants to explore, and (in Nabokov's case) how they want their work to be read. The childhood to adulthood is one of the most interesting parts for me as well. And I'm sorry to hear that about your family member. Definitely fascinating on a general level but not always on a personal one. Thanks so much for your insight as always. Happy reading!

@moiseyzavlanov3497 2 ай бұрын

I love how you mentioned at 4:44 how nothing written feels like an accident. Me being fluent in Russian, it made me think about the name Luzhin itself: the name is derived from the word "luzha," which means "puddle." I haven't read the book myself but I'm bringing it up because from the class I took on Russian literature, the professor would emphasize the importance of the names of the characters, what they or their prefixes meant in Russian, and so on. Great video, btw! Very engaging and intellectually-stimulating. :)

@agwriting 2 ай бұрын

No way, I didn't know that. Honestly that makes sense, it really does feel like he's deteriorating (melting, in a sense). Like I said Nabokov is insanely meticulous with details so I'm sure that wasn't an accident either. Thanks so much for watching!

@zzflvr 2 ай бұрын

pls keep doing reading vlogs! i'm a fan of the longer videos :) now I want to read my first Nabokov! I hope you make a reading vlog of Intermezzo too

@agwriting 2 ай бұрын

Currently reading Intermezzo. Hopefully going to film a video soon.

@deckchair41 2 ай бұрын

Thank you, Alex. Loved the video. Your passion for reading and the book comes through so strong that I now have it on my very long to read list.

@agwriting 2 ай бұрын

Ah so glad to hear! Yes, those lists can get insanely long I know

@anngelapm 2 ай бұрын

So far, I’ve only read The Enchanter by Nabokov, and while it’s quite a disturbing book, I really appreciated his narrative style.. I truly hope you continue making videos like this. The way you break down the book and its ideas makes me want to read it. Your analysis was really engaging!

@agwriting 2 ай бұрын

That's awesome to hear. Really means so much to me that you watched the whole thing and found it engaging, I so often worry about making videos too long.