this book just blew my mind! so effin good yo! read it - its worth it! ( )

wonderful ( )

Nabokov's linguistic gymnastics are spectacular in this novel. Likewise, his infatuation with lepidotera flutters through all the pages. Could not put it down! ( )

Ada, or Ardor, is an enigmatic work, which is a curious if redundant tag to place upon anything Nabokov wrote. His longest work by far, it is an immersive, overwhelming, somewhat self-indulgent but incredibly rewarding work that may take a while to get through -- it took me over seven months -- but is well worth the trip.

The narrative, if it is to be described simply, involves the lifelong love affair between the title character and her "cousin," our narrator Van Veen. Early in the novel, we are told that, though they think they are cousins, due to a pair of extramarital affairs, they are actually brother and sister. As a result, their love must consist of clandestine codes and secret liaisons. Though they part and reconcile, they both find that they are inexorably drawn together, no matter the taboo.

Such a description completely eradicates the joy of the novel, which as always for Nabokov is in his masterful command of language. The novel is brimming with puns and wordplay, occasionally to the point of distraction, and the ease with which Nabokov traverses his three languages of expertise -- English, Russian, and French -- makes the novel nothing short of a linguistic masterwork. But it also makes the novel a rather slow read, as the reader's mind tries to keep up with the author's play. And for a 600-page novel, that can get rather exhausting indeed.

On the plus side, the work's relatively simplistic plot makes it easy to follow, no matter at what point you decide to lay it down for a while. The fantastical setting -- an ur-planet known as Anti-Terra, which bears a striking resemblance to Earth but has several unusual geographic features -- makes it a bit of a chore to follow along, but it's not enough to keep the book feeling familiar. In addition, though the first part of the novel takes up over half the book, much of it is devoted to individual scenes of the couple's ardor, which means there's little to remember. By the novel's end, each part gets shorter but also more abstract, making the task of keeping things together somewhat more challenging but also more manageable.

Ultimately, the novel is a joy to read, even if it feels as if Nabokov's brilliance might have benefited from a somewhat more judicious editor. It's the kind of work that rewards full immersion, and as a result it succeeds best when one can take one's time and really savor what Nabokov is doing. In that regard, Ada, or Ardor, represents the master at his bombastic best, and any fan would be remiss if they opted to pass this over.

"Family chronicle" of relatives Ada and Van Veen, and their (very) dysfunctional family. Although I thought the writing in this book was absolutely wonderful (note to self: must read more books by Nabokov), I did get bogged down a bit towards the end. Like Lolita, this book does have some unsavory aspects to it, so I would probably tell anyone easily offended to pass on it. ( )