Laughter in the Dark

Laughter in the Dark

"All art is a deception, and nature is a deception; it is a kind deception."
★ Desire, trickery, and deception ★ A classic presentation of Nabokov's black humor ★ A Berlin melodrama transformed into a timeless allegory ★ All the colors of life fade in the boundless darkness. "Laughter in the Dark" is a dark allegory parodying melodrama by the master novelist Nabokov. Written in Berlin in 1932 under the title Camera Obscura, it was published in Paris and Berlin. In 1936, it was translated into English by V. Loy and published under the original title in London. In 1938, Nabokov himself revised and retranslated it, publishing it in New York as "Laughter in the Dark." The novel emulates the cheap love triangles prevalent in films of the 1920s and 1930s, starting with the film as the title, which sets out the relationship between the main characters. The protagonist, Obinus, wants to use the new technique of animation to bring the paintings of the Old Masters to life, and proposes a collaboration with the satirical painter Rex. Obinas falls in love at first sight with Margot, a cinema usher. Margot, who is "obsessed with movies," dreams of becoming a movie star. Convinced that he belongs to a class that can provide her with the conditions to "enter the stage and screen," she decides to date him. The banquet Obinas hosts to entertain celebrities creates an opportunity for Margot to reunite with her former lover, Rex, thus forming a love triangle that continues until the novel ends in tragedy.
"Laughter in the Dark" is another of Nabokov's masterpieces, a parody of Berlin screen melodrama. Its narrative pace is breakneck, with the entire plot and ending revealed in just three lines at the outset. It's a familiar, clichéd love triangle. Yet, Nabokov doesn't let this put readers off; instead, with a supreme command of both text and plot, he slowly progresses the story, vividly showcasing desire, cunning, and deception.
Recognized as a preeminent novelist and stylist of the 20th century, Vladimir Nabokov's works have had an indelible impact on English-language literature and world literature. "The Nabokov Collection I" curates five of Nabokov's most iconic classics from over twenty published titles, presenting them in a brand-new hardcover edition. Among these works are hard-to-find, eagerly awaited "anticipated books." Besides the celebrated and controversial "Lolita," the collection also includes the highly challenging experimental text "Pale Fire," the dark parody of melodrama "Laughter in the Dark," the humorous autobiographical classic "Pnin," and the distinctive memoir "Speak, Memory." Each of these five works is distinctive, representing unique aspects of Nabokov's creative process, offering a fresh perspective on understanding the master novelist.
"Since Shakespeare, no other writer has cast and used language with such agility, wit, and creativity," commented the Daily Mail. Updike praised him, saying, "The power of imagination has rarely found a more vibrant voice."
A masterful novelist's technique, a dark and turbulent allegory of the present, the echo of a lifetime's memory. Welcome to the world of Nabokov's fiction. If words can evoke the purest sensory enjoyment, nothing else can do it.

2019-06-01

上海译文出版社

Shanghai Translation New Text

236

9787532780716