Away,away, for I will fly to thee...

Where has time gone? This is the longest I have gone without a post. I finished reading "Glory" by Vladimir Nabokov on Monday, which is very late, really, for a 200 page book. Work has kept me occupied most of that time, and starting classes this week didn't help at all. The story involves a young emigre from Russia, right at the start of the new Bolshevik rule. He and his mother move to England where they adapt very quickly. There are some other characters of major interest. Darwin, a classmate of Martin's, had distinguished himself in the Crimean conflict and leads intellectual debates at Cambridge. Of course, Martin and him fight over a woman, Sonia, who turns a terrible flirt--some say psychopathic--and ruins the friendship between the men. They (Martin and Darwin) duke it out in the most gentlemanish fashion, a fist-fight. After they make amends, Martin's soccer team reaches the championship game. Expecting Darwin and Sonia to be in the audience, he distinguishes himself as the goal-keeper, only to find out later that Darwin and Sonia had left much, much earlier than the end of the game. Martin feels betrayed. For some reason he abandons Cambridge and works as a laborer for months before deciding to return to Russia; a risky venture by all measures and an extreme act that concludes the novel.

I believe this is one of Nabokov's least known novels, and I mainly support my argument with the fact that it is one of his translated novels, not originally written in English or without the knowledge of the language. I believe it was his son who translated it (with father keeping a close eye on the proceedings). It was an interesting read and I recommend it as I would recommend everything by Nabokov--simply a genius.

I have struggled to make time to read. School being back in session, the three courses I am teaching this semester have kept me away from any good reading and also away from this blog. It is a shame, really, that things do not seem to be getting better in that sense, but rather getting much worst. I begin my second Master degree tomorrow, which will probably mean less time to read and blog. But I suspect that those things are simply temporary--like everything else--and nature being what it is, I'll be back on my reading list for this year in no time.