Nabokov in America                              31

It is unfortunate that most readers still know Nabokov only for
one work, Lolita. He has largely been taken over by academic
critics, reinforcing a situation in which he is widely regarded as
an extraordinarily difficult writer, and as one who is practically
inaccessible to even intelligent and well-informed lay readers.
More than most writers, certainly, Nabokov can be read on many
levels. There are probably as many interpretations of his artistic
intentions and views on his use of language as there are serious
readers of his works. He himself scorned psychological inter¬
pretations of his novels, particularly those studies that used a
Freudian approach to ferret out possible sexual overtones.

In the final analysis, Nabokov deserves to be read not just as an
avant-garde author who employed unusual narrative techniques
and complicated literary structures, nor as a great commentator
on the meaning of human existence, but for the beauty and crafts¬
manship of his writing. His vision was essentially an ironic one, and
he made generous use of parody and linguistic virtuosity. It was
the vision of a writer who wrote from the sheer joy of creation.