Speak Memory

An Autobiography Revisited

By: Vladimir Nabokov

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

From one of the 20th century's great writers comes one of the finest autobiographies of our time. Speak, Memory, first published in 1951 as Conclusive Evidence and then assiduously revised in 1966, is an elegant and rich evocation of Nabokov’s life and times, even as it offers incisive insights into his major works, including Lolita, Pnin, Despair, The Gift, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, and The Luhzin Defense.

One of the 20th century’s master prose stylists, Vladimir Nabokov was born in St. Petersburg in 1899. He studied French and Russian literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, then lived in Berlin and Paris, where he launched a brilliant literary career. In 1940 he moved to the United States, and achieved renown as a novelist, poet, critic, and translator. He taught literature at Wellesley, Stanford, Cornell, and Harvard. In 1961 he moved to Montreux, Switzerland, where he died in 1977.

©1947, 1951, 1967 Vladimir Nabokov (P)2010 Audible, Inc

Critic reviews

"Beguiling and superbly produced, this bittersweet rendition will appeal to lovers of Nabokov and those experiencing their first taste." (AudioFile)

Celestial Beauty of Literature

Being on my quest to listen to all of Nabokov's books, this marks my third thus far. Yeah, I cheated a little by skipping ahead, still unsure as to when his genius for literature actually came to fruition. Wasn't with 'Mary', but somewhere between that one and Lolita. I'll undertake his second work soon, but not knowing when I'd again return to the magic I went ahead and listened to this one. Although not terribly great when it comes to actual story, the writing itself, so exquisite! No one else uses words in such ways! Onwards my Nabokov journey sails...

Very interesting and provocative

Nabakov is a master with words and he can weave a scene with exquisite detail. But then you could say this about all of his work. It was interesting to learn of his early life and which events he chose to reveal (and by omission, those he chose not to tell). Certainly worthwhile if you are familiar with his work and want to know more about the man.

As dreadful as War And Peace w/o plot and events

I gave this book three stars because Russia prior to the Bolshevik Revolution is of some interest to me. Otherwise, the book has not much of a content. Endless details and allegories describe things that are mostly static, or exist only in the author's head. BORING.

Fascinating book; Overly dry narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would hire a different performer, such as Jeremy Irons, who did such a fantastic job reading Nabokov's novel Lolita.

What did you like best about this story?

Nabokov's autobiographical comments are genuinely fascinating and insightful. I really like the text of this book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator is too try and emotionless. Rudnicki sounds a lot like Mr. Spock. I don't mean that he sounds like Leonard Nemoy, I mean that he sounds like Mr. Spock.

Nabokov's book contains many comments that are ironic, tongue-in-cheek, sly, mischievous, self-doubting, wistful, or just plain funny. Rudnicki reads though all of them with an even tone of voice, as if he were reading an instruction manual. I have trouble staying focused on Nabokov's narrative while listening to this audiobook. Every word that Rudnicki utters subconsciously communicates to me "here comes the boring part!"

A spiral rainbow in a florescent crystal.

Here's Nabokov once again at his scintillating best. I read the print edition many and many a moon ago and I tried the audio book with mixed feelings. The reader is generally good, but somehow he fails to inject the voice magic richly deserved by this literary masterpiece put together with flashes of memory polished by Nabokov's pearly prose and scholarship.
As the author writes in his preface to "The Gift", ..."gone is Bunin, Aldanov and Remizov. Gone is Alexandre Khodasevitch, the greatest Russian poet the 20th century has yet produced. ".... their wanderings seem like those of some mythical tribe, whose moon signs and bird signs I now retrieve from the desert dust." Indeed, in this book, he has done it to himself and more, sprinkled it with the gleam of sunshine on raindrops gliding down the leaves after a summer cloud burst, flash of a butterfly wing vaguely seen disappearing around the blooming Lilacs, in short, bits of childhood, youth and manhood seem through the kaleidoscope of our yearning to remake our past. What I find wonderous is the author knows it and instead of trying to 'rationalise his past using the tools of mental mechanics of every ilk and turning the tale into an abysmal argosy of cloying coyness, he moulds it into a literary treasure trove of great beauty one never tires of going back to gloat over one's own favourite passage.

My only regret is Nabokov did not make this book at least twice as long as it is, but this is a complaint I have often made against him and a few of my favourite writers. Fortunately for me, their number is small, otherwise, I might have turned out to dislike literary enjoyment altogether.
This may be what some minor wise man meant by saying that one should be greatful for small mercies.

I cannot recommend "Speak Memory" highly enough.

Speak, Mnemosyne!

Probably one of my favorite autobiographies to date (beaten only perhaps by the Education of Henry Adams). Realistically, it is 4.56 stars given the narrative gaps (most were written as individual pieces for Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker and Harpers). The section on butterflies (Chapter 6), his Russian education (Chapter 9), and his portrait of his mother (Chapter 2) were absolutely AMAZING. Other chapters were just as good, and only a couple were less than what I hoped. It is interesting to think of Nabokov writing these in English in Massachusetts from his Russian memories and then translating them in the 1950s back into Russian and then using the Russian version to edit a new edition in 1966. The human mind, with all its varieties, is an phenomenal thing...but Nabokov's mind and the prose it produces makes me want to just lay down and lick the back of my own head in jealousy.

Marvelous!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I love Nabokov, so I may be a bit biased, but this book illuminates so much more than just a man and his life, and more than just his life's work. It is filled with insight into many aspects of life. It's also a very interesting history told through a wise and eloquent lens.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, Nabokov I suppose. Also Vera.

Which character – as performed by Stefan Rudnicki – was your favorite?

Stefan's voice seems perfect for every aspect of this book. I very much enjoyed it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Chapter 11 section 2. A simple but beautiful notion about life, art, and the artist.

Not my favorite memoir

It does get better after listing his ancestry in chapter three. He is a poet and relies on giving the impression of the moment. For instance, he will mention a dead horsefly, which adds nothing. At times, his description are verbose and while he gives a distinct impression, it lacks the importance of Night (the Holocaust) or Black Boy. It’s not bad, but wouldn’t make my top ten best memoirs. The reader, though, is good

Perfect Narrator

Many people complain about Stefan as a narrator in reviews for this book, but the sonorous melody of his voice only improves Nabokov’s stylistic prose. He applies perfect intonations with Nabokov’s jokes and provides correct emphasis where emphasis is required. The book itself a solid, I think I prefer Nabokov’s erudite style in nonfiction form rather than fiction. It suits him immensely.

Brilliant story of the early life of a genius

No one who listens to the language of Nabokov can forget him. It is dense, rich, funny, and always surprising. His early life story is instructive in the unexpected and rarely told descriptions of pre Bolshevik Russia. It is a testament to what was destroyed by the communists and it is a warning for today. Highly recommend.