Vladimir

A Novel

By: Julia May Jonas

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

An NPR, Washington Post, Time, People, Vulture, Guardian, Vox, Kirkus Reviews, Newsweek, LitHub, and New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * “Delightful…cathartic, devious, and terrifically entertaining.” —The New York Times * “Timely, whip-smart, and darkly funny.” —People (Book of the Week) * One of Shondaland’s 13 Best College-Set Novels of All Time

A provocative, razor-sharp, and timely debut novel about a beloved English professor facing a slew of accusations against her professor husband by former students—a situation that becomes more complicated when she herself develops an obsession of her own...

“When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me.” And so we are introduced to our narrator who’s “a work of art in herself” (The Washington Post): a popular English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extra-marital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both. And when our narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir—a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus—their tinder box world comes dangerously close to exploding.

“Timely, whip-smart, and darkly funny” (People), Vladimir takes us into charged territory, where the boundaries of morality bump up against the impulses of the human heart. This edgy, uncommonly assured debut perfectly captures the personal and political minefield of our current moment, exposing the nuances and the grey area between power and desire.

Nabakov 2.0

This is a fabulously written book, a tribute to and a reimagining of Nabokov’s writing style and craft. It is also a bite my reading on the unacknowledged complexities that lurk around the strident neo-liberal politics of our times. Read it in one shot!

Great storytelling

I will say…I love this book but the main character’s fixation on Vladimir doesn’t seem like enough to be the title of this book. So much of the scandal and John took up space in the book, which was great, but I was a bit surprised until eventually later on in the story we get more Vlad

Started with promise, ended in disappointment

The story begins with a few interesting investigations around the spouse’s responsibilities for their partner’s transgressions, for the power paradigm in an inappropriate relationship, and for the societal confrontation with the institution of marriage— the depth and story fall off a cliff though at some when the professor lures Vladimir for an outing- and unfortunately never recovers. Good start, hollow finish.
The reader for this recording was quite good and I enjoyed her cadence and expression.

Worth the read

I struggled to finish this book, but I found it to be worth it in the end. I lost interest at times- the plot felt slow and too detailed. The narration felt arrogant. But, there ended up being some really poignant moments that spoke to the shared human experience. And by the end the author wrapped up the story with a pretty little bow.

Contemporary Gothic Novel

The plot twists--a kidnapping, drugs in drinks, and a raging house fire are shocking and " over the top" as is the narrator's dramatic sensual reading. An interesting commentary on academe, but you can't really "like" the characters.