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ED2011 Book Reviews
The Playful Search For Nabokov – Lila Azam Zanganeh
By Samuel Johnston | Published on Thursday 18 August 2011
Lila Azam Zanganeh is not one to shy away from bold statements. Describing Lolita as ‘the only convincing love story of the 20th Century’ and arguing that attempting to justify its morality is a waste of time, she sets out her non-academic stall vociferously. After mapping the creation of her book ‘The Enchanter’, which is concerned with three of Nabokov’s works ‘Ada’, ‘Lolita’ and ‘Speak, Memory’, she moves onto the difficulties associated with leaving him behind to work on her own novel. An engaging and passionate speaker, Zanganeh was challenged forcefully by her interlocutor, Stuart Kelly over her opinions on Nabokov’s novel ‘Pale Fire’, producing the funniest line of the night – ‘I just don’t like it’. A non-academic indeed.
Peppers Theatre, 14 Aug, 4.00pm (5.00pm), £10, eibfpp10.
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