Ada or Ardor

Pretentiously Pathetic Plot-line

By Vladimir Nabokov
Russian-American, 1969
Alternate History, Speculative Fiction, Coming of Age

Main Attractions


1. Glove Slaps Exist Here! 
2. Way to much Sexualization
3. Banal Treatment of Topic
4. Weak Save at the End
5. Potential to Address...
6. Wasted Potential
7. More Sexualization 
8. Botany, Geography, Lit References
9. Pretentious 2nd Language
10.  How to Frustrate a Reader, so they Stop Caring what the Main Point is, if there is one.

Postcard 

It had one line of beauty, a gem surrounded by obscenity:


Cuisine & Delicacies

Ranked as: Mystery Meat
I finished it. It was one hell of a struggle, but I got through it.  By the last hundred pages, a hardcore theory of analysis mathbook would be more engaging.  He did get to about 10 pages of Time and Space.  Best 10 pages of the book, not worth the 500 page slogfest.  If you’re curious about this book, skip the first 500 pages and just read that one chapter.  It’s good but not after being frustrated beyond caring and then giving it to the reader as a pretentious topping on top of a riddle I no longer care about!! 

Why Visit Here

Don’t.  This book is Lolita but without all the driving.  He over indulges in 2 children and then 3.  I can’t see any literary merit. 

Will it eventually fall out of print?  Are there any literary critics who can defend it's merit? Why is Nabokov a celebrated writer? 

Feel free to chime in. (No spammy weird things, I'm nervous to even post this review!)    

Destination Summary

Chapter 1 and 2 are intricate family histories that are twisted in affairs and incest.  The rest of part one is 2 children engaging in sex. Obscene and worse than Lolita.  They continue to do so while referencing botany, literary works and talking in a 2nd language.  They grow old doing this.  On one page, the dad finds out and it’s fairly anti-climatic considering the gravity of their crime.  At the end, about 10 pages of Space and Time, the only part worth reading.

Packing List
✓ Prepare to have butterflies ruined for you
✓ Google for 1000s of references & obscure words, as in, there's a word for that?!
✓ Strong Stomach
✓ Annotations; here's a link

Recommended Resources
Alternate Books
Lolita By Vladimir Nabokov (1955) - To remind you that he has merit as a writer?  Very similar themes and in Ada, he tried to take it to the next level.  (I wish I knew this before committing to reading it.  I think I regret reading it.  It seems like a waste of time.  I’ll give an update after a few months or year.  However long it takes.)  

Alternate Movies
✓ Tideland (2005) Directed by Terry Gilliam - Scariest, most intense movie I’d ever seen.  This little girl, what could happen to her is terrifying.  It’s a good movie if you enjoy challenging movies.  Warning: It’s very intense and has some graphic drug use. It says 14A, but the intensity could bring up to 18A. 

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