Finding Nabokov

<p> Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) was one of the most fascinating literary figures of the 20th century. Known primarily as the author of <I>Lolita</I> he was at first scorned as a pornographer but eventually hailed as the writer of a masterpiece. A Russian born into wealth and privilege he was forced into exile by the Bolshevik Revolution. Married to a Jewish woman and living in poverty in Berlin he fled first to Paris and then to America always barely one step ahead of the Nazis. His 50-year career encompassed the creation of brilliant novels teaching positions at Wellesley and Cornell and work as a respected scientist in lepidoptery at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. </p><p> This A-Z guide to Nabokov's life and achievements runs the gamut from <i>Academe</i> that rarefied collegiate realm of Nabokov's most biting satires to <i>Zoorland</i> a fictitious totalitarian country that bans the arts because they give talented people opportunities to rise above the masses.</p>