Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) was one of the most fascinating literary figures of the 20th century. Known primarily as the author of
Lolita
, 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.
This A-Z guide to Nabokov's life and achievements runs the gamut from
Academe
, that rarefied, collegiate realm of Nabokov's most biting satires, to
Zoorland
, a fictitious totalitarian country that bans the arts because they give talented people opportunities to rise above the masses.