A creative writer must study carefully the works of his rivals, including the Almighty. He must possess the inborn capacity not only of recombining but of re-creating the given world. In order to do this adequately, avoiding duplication of labor, the artist should know the given world.
Vladimir NabokovHumbert was perfectly capable of intercourse with Eve, but it was Lilith he longed for.
Vladimir NabokovPerhaps if the future existed, concretely and individually, as something that could be discerned by a better brain, the past would not be so seductive: its demands would be balanced by those of the future.
Vladimir Nabokovdo what only a true artist can do ... pounce upon the forgotten butterfly of revelation
Vladimir NabokovWhat surprises you in life? The marvel of consciousness -- that sudden window swinging open on a sunlit landscape amidts the night of non-being.
Vladimir Nabokov