A review by franklloydweft
The Luzhin Defense by Vladimir Nabokov

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Once I think about this one more it might increase to a 5 star. I sped through the end of it to keep up with the class I am reading along with (my good friend said he would enjoy a reading buddy) so I may need to collect my thoughts a bit more. I’ve now learned that this is considered by some to be Nabokov’s first masterpiece, and I see why. It depicts the life and mind of the tortured chess master Luzhin, as well as the important figures around him, as he effectively trauma bonds with chess to a deleterious degree. The tale is told by a third person omniscient narrator who hops around brains of the characters from paragraph to paragraph. I really liked the nonlinearity of the book as well as how Luzhin himself was characterized. It was difficult to get into at first, but towards the end I found myself speeding to the finish! Recommend for anyone who wants an introspective and heady read… even if you’re like me and don’t know much at all about chess. This one will still have you thinking at the end (in a good way).
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