Laughter in the Dark

Book Description

A reissue of the classic novel from the author of Lolita which brilliantly portrays one man's ruin through love and betrayal.

"Once upon a time there lived in Berlin, Germany, a man called Albinus. He was rich, respectable, happy; one day he abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress; he loved; was not loved; and his life ended in disaster." Thus begins Vladimir Nabokov's Laughter in the Dark; and this, the author tells us, is the whole story—except that he starts from here, with his characteristic dazzling skill and irony, and brilliantly turns a fable into a chilling, original novel of folly and destruction. Amidst a Weimar-era milieu of silent film stars, artists, and aspirants, Nabokov creates a merciless masterpiece as Albinus, an aging critic, falls prey to his own desires, to his teenage mistress, and to Axel Rex, the scheming rival for her affections who finds his greatest joy in the downfall of others.

Published first in Russian as Kamera Obskura in 1932, this book appeared in Nabokov's own English translation six years later. This New Directions edition, based on the text as Nabokov revised it in 1960, features a new introduction by Booker Prize-winner John Banville.

Customer Reviews:

"...he loved; was not loved; and his life ended in disaster.".......2007-06-19

Just when one has reached the age of relative comfort and has accepted life's compromises with one's youthful and unearthly dreams and yearnings, along comes a great big delusion. In the case of Albinus, the struggle to resist this phantom called beauty didn't last long. He collapsed at its feet, as if it completed him and immortalized him. Utterly blind to its ruthless demands and sad, greedy realities, Albinus let beauty, embodied in the supple Margot Peters, bring down every bit of his integrity until he became, literally, a pathetic, helpless supplicant at her feet. This theme has recently been reprised in the award-winning movie, "American Beauty."

What I find interesting in this classically simple and beautifully executed novel is the underlying theme of our relationship to art and beauty. Does beauty make fools of us all, even the most intelligent among us who, one would think, should know better? Or are those people the most vulnerable of all, as they see all the way to the depths of beauty and art and lose themselves in their mystery? In contrast, hardened cynics and inherently nasty people, as epitomized in the character Axel Rex, take their due of life's sweets and laugh at the foolishness of those mere mortals who somehow try to capture and control them. They are nothing to be preserved, but are merely wild and fleeting, like a summer day or a rare butterfly fluttering through the dahlias. Yet it is all too human to quake and tremble and collapse when sensual delight finds its way into one's life. This is the story of such a disaster and the evil it releases.

Let's also leave "Lolita" on the shelf when reading this work. This one came first. It should be appreciated in its own right. Comparisons are for literature professors. Discrete enjoyment is for readers.

Very well written 3.5 stars.......2007-05-18

This is an extremely well written book, but not one of Nabokov's best -- a little too predictable, the main character unbelievably stupid about his mistress, as if Nabokov enjoys despising him. That can be amusing, but it detracts from the overall story -- hard to maintain that arch tone without boring the reader, even in a short book. Otherwise, somewhat dated and conventional, although told by a master. Pnin was more amusing, and Lolita more compelling. His collected stories is an excellent book.

Profit in considering tragedy........2007-05-14

"Once upon a time there lived in Berlin, Germany, a man called Albinus. He was rich, respectable, happy; one day he abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress; he loved; was not loved; and his life ended in disaster."

Readers interested strictly in the bottom line might well stop there, with the synopsis of the entire story delivered in a single, short paragraph. Readers with the good sense to continue, however, will find themselves basking in the artistry of narration that is Laughter in the Dark . I think that this is among the best of Vladimir Nabokov's novels--which is high praise indeed, considering the oeuvre of this remarkable writer.

Albinus behaves badly, forsaking the wife and daughter who did love him for the gamine of eighteen who did not. Even so, Nabokov's narration makes it difficult not to pity the man in the face of Margot's manipulation and the dreadful treatment dished out by her lover Rex. Albinus understands only when it's too late.

Giving his carnal appetite higher priority than his responsibilities as a husband and father, Albinus supposes that as long as he provides financial support, all will be well (enough) and that he will still maintain his place in respectable society. His failure to see his actions through to their end leaves him vulnerable to disaster and his lust leaves him vulnerable to exploitation. What else but tragedy could follow?

Nabokov's genius is evident in his ability to draw the reader into a story after having given it away in the first paragraph. His prose is almost perfect, a harmonious balance of rhythm and economy: I didn't want to put the book down, though I did force myself to go slowly, to savor the text.

Not a happy story by any means, but one in whose reading there is profit.

Similar themes.......2007-01-15

As usual, very compelling writing, and glimmerings of his playfulness with language that would
become more developed in Lolita. Also, many similar themes as in Lolita: an older man takes a younger girl as a mistress, becomes obsessed with her, is jealous when a rival lover comes along. Also similar: long car trips and a pistol that ends the story. Overall, a hard book to put down, if just because of the writing style, but
the story itself does not seem new. A sort of dadaistic film-noire meets Henry Miller.

Excellent Read: An Example of a Well Written Novel.......2006-11-01

This present novel is more concise and less rambling than "Lolita."

I have read some of Nabokov's other books including some of his non-fiction and of course I read "Lolita." This is probably one of his better works.

Nabokov was a devout student of literature as well as a writer. As most know, he became a professor at Cornell in later years. This is an earlier novel from 1932 published in Russian as Kamera Obskura in 1932, then translated by Nabokov to English in 1938, and then again updated by him in 1960.

This is a great novel. It is clear and concise; it is well balanced like his own idea of the perfect novel, "Madame Bovary." In short, it is an entertaining and a compelling read. I read it start to finish in one less than one evening. He has approximately ten characters in the story with about five important characters including the two main protagonists. He keeps the story simple but interesting. The story is brilliantly conceived and told.

I will not give away the plot, but it is set in Berlin after World War I, then it moves on to the Riviera and Switzerland.

As noted on page 1: "Once upon a time there lived in Berlin, Germany, a man called Albinus. He was rich, respectable, happy; one day he abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress.." Knowing that does not ruin the story and that is all you should know for now. Skip all the other comments until you read the novel.

The story unfolds with few clues about what will take place. Most important questions in our minds are left unresolved until the end. Most will sympathise with the slightly naïve Albinus, and as myself, most will become fully immersed in the story.

This is a great novel that I highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

Ponderous and dated
the best
It is a shame this book is so hard to find.

Time's Dark Laughter
James Md Kahn
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Ponderous and dated.......2002-08-24

Unlike the original of the series (World Enough, and Time), this book has no excuse for its flaws and that's a shame. WEaT was, for its time, something very different from the usual fantasy novels on the shelves. TDL unfortunately isn't so much a sequel to WEaT as a reinterpretation of the original and continuation of the original storyline to a drastically altered conclusion. And I don't mean this in a good way...

The author takes the original setting and characters and begins to tie up loose ends, beginning with the "Joshua and the Queen" plotline. This (through Rose, another character from WEaT) initiates a second "rescue journey" by the remainders of WEaT, a new character (Aba) and one from WEaT that was only lightly utilized (D'Ursa Magnu). However, the characters are definitely five years older and much different than before, and the rescue journey plotline and concurrent expansion of the setting (further details on The City With No Name, the Queen, and the general West Coast area) only take about half the book. So far so good...

But then the author utterly re-interprets everything about the novel(s), including characters, plotline, history and such, with the birth of The Child. It was almost as if he wrote the first half a year or so after WEaT, then wrote a dozen movie knock-offs for Spielberg and Lucas, then remembered he had a novel to finish and came back to it with an entirely different concept on what it was about. And the new concept just doesn't fly. It's ponderous reading, even moreso than any volume of the Thomas Covenant/Illearth War series, and drags out to its inevitable conclusion in spurts (many wasted words filled unnecessary paragraphs, whereas entire other sections which should have taken several chapters were completed in but a few pages). The storyline was very uneven, and after only a few chapters I didn't even care what was going to happen anymore...I just wanted the book to end.

But as bad as that was, the author had one more rotten trick up his sleeve to firmly cement a Two Star rating here. At the end he totally re-interprets the setting from post-apocalypse USA in roughly 2300 CE to a pseudo-Hyborian age type setting where everything in the books has actually happened in the *past* relative to modern times, and explains it with a trite, contrived "Time is a rubber band and everything repeats itself again and again" bit of pop philosophy. Yes, this is as bad as the infamous "Luke, I'm your father" reinterpretation in Star Wars, and it's not even an original idea. Moorcock used a similar concept to MUCH greater effect in his Eternal Champion novels a decade or more prior to TDL. Then, in conclusion, the author drops a short "and here's how some of them lived happily ever after" epilogue into the mix to tie up loose ends, having left Beauty in the Mosian Firecaves and Aba in search of his sister and lover.

I'm hoping that someday, someone will rewrite WEaT and TDL as a movie script, throw out everything about The Child, and make a good 150 minute action-adventure fantasy movie from the material. But somehow I doubt that will happen; I can't see it being done well-enough to get anything less than an R rating while remaining true to the vision of the original setting and plot, and it certainly would test the boundaries of cultural acceptability (it's an anthropomorphic world, with humans and vampires as well, so there are quite a few scenes of animal/human/vampire "interaction" that play with the bestiality taboo...just how are they going to explain the relationship between Josh the Human and Isis the Cat)?

the best.......2000-07-03

This series, of which this is the second book, is one of the most memorable I've ever read (3 times now). The concept of going back in time to create the present is exceptionally well done - the David Gemmel Jon Shannow novels have a similar concept. The idea that our mythology is based on past cycles of earth time is also very well done. It's a pity this volume (Time's Dark Laughter) was left on a flight to Perth and that it is now out of print.

It is a shame this book is so hard to find........1997-12-03

This was one of the three best books I have ever read. The characters were engaging, and the plot was so thick that once I picked this book up, it was not possible to put it down. If you're looking for a book so good that you will stay up all night reading, this is it!

Average customer rating:

Laughter in the Dark
Vladimir Nabokov
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Dark Laughter: The Satiric Art of Oliver W. Harrington : From the Walter O. Evans Collection of African-American Art

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Dark Laughter: The Satiric Art of Oliver W. Harrington : From the Walter O. Evans Collection of African-American Art
Oliver W. Harrington
Manufacturer: University Press of Mississippi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Laughter of Dark Gods (Warhammer Novels)

Average customer rating:

Some good, some so-so, some meh
I still remember the last story 11 years later...

The Laughter of Dark Gods (Warhammer Novels)

Manufacturer: Games Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743443098

Customer Reviews:

Some good, some so-so, some meh.......2006-05-20

This book reprints 11 short stories taken from 3 other anthologies previously published by Warhammer back in 1989-90.

The book starts off with a bang with the story from which this book takes its title, "The Laughter of Dark Gods" by William King. This is quite an excellent tale of one man's descent into the dark life of a Chaos warrior. I'd say that this story, along with the fantastic cover art by Clint Langley which appears to depict the story's main character, are almost worth the price of the book on their own!

This is immediately followed by another strong entry which I also liked a lot, "The Reavers and the Dead" by Charles Davidson. A young man watches helplessly as a shipload of pirate reavers heads for his seaside village. Is there nothing he can do? -- You might be surprised what he does do. I liked this one so much I wished it could have continued on into a full novel, as it has the feel of only being the introductory chapter in a much larger story and seemed to end just right when it was getting really good.

Next up is "The Phantom of Yremy" by Brian Craig. A mysterious thief is after the magistrate of a small Bretonnian town. Although it has a kind of vibe similar to some of Poe's mysteries, what with its pseudo-French Bretonnian setting, I still found it hard to get into and didn't really enjoy it at all. My reaction when it was over was "yeah, so what?"

This is followed by "The Other" by Nicola Griffiths. A tale of two young apprentice healers, a male and a female, it seems like an excuse to go on about the advancement of women in the Warhammer world and the healing powers of women and yadda, yadda. Bleh.

Next is "The Song" by Steve Baxter, a story of a halfling private eye pressed into undertaking a dangerous assignment for a sinister elf. Alright I guess, but I preferred the other halfling story later in the book. And I also felt that the tone was a bit too lighthearted for what I was hoping would be a very dark-themed anthology. I wish Warhammer would take more care when choosing the stories for their anthologies so that they really do all fit together better.

"Apprentice Luck" by Sean Flynn is the tale of how one bored teenager stumbles onto the road to becoming a mage. OK I guess, but I didn't find the main character particularly likable and this affected my enjoyment of it.

"The Light of Transfiguration" by Brian Craig tells the story of a nun's growing fascination with/temptation by some leftover Chaos relics. I liked this one too, quite suitably dark and my 3rd fave in the book.

"The Spells Below" by Neil Jones deals with a young woman, her wizard boyfriend and his mysterious little familiar. Her boyfriend has been denounced as a follower of Chaos but she can't believe it. Can she save him? Okay story but not really necessary.

"Cry of the Beast" by Ralph Castle is a werewolf tale. An elven maiden is shipwrecked and her brother is missing. Soon afterwards a beast begins attacks. Are the two connected?? Didn't particularly impress me.

"A Gardener in Parravon" by Brian Craig is an unusual tale dealing with a bizarre garden, one man's obsession with it, and his strange dreams of flying creatures. I really didn't "get" this story at all and it never lived up to my expectations. This one was just filler for me.

The book concludes with "The Tilean Rat" by Sandy Mitchell, which is a Warhammer-world dark ages parody of the 1940s movie "The Maltese Falcon". So if you have never seen this movie, I would advise watching it first before reading this story. Instead of Humphrey Bogart's classic detective Sam Spade, it's another halfling detective sent by an alluring elf woman to track down a statue of a rat before a fat man and his sneaky sidekick get hold of it. This was a fun story, but once again I felt it was a bit too lighthearted for what I was hoping for from this book. And isn't it a bit much putting not one but TWO halfling detective stories in one anthology? (--unless it's an anthology of halfling detective stories!)

So overall there are some worthwhile stories, some just okay, and some that seem just filler. I find these Warhammer anthologies always have very uneven quality to the stories and are never really solid all the way through. And they don't seem to be consistent enough in selecting stories that all fit a particular mood.

So 4 stars because I did like some of the stories, but not 5 because it could have been better.

I still remember the last story 11 years later..........2005-04-02

AND DAMN. It was GREAT. That's really all I remember about the book, but this is worth just that last story about a man who chooses to side with the forces of darkness. Absolutely fantastic.

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Conjunctions: 36, Dark Laughter

Manufacturer: Bard College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0941964523
Release Date: 2001-06-02

Book Description

Contains a special portfolio, co-edited by Jonathan Safran Foer and Bradford Morrow, presenting work exploring the darker sides of comedy. Authors include Robert Coover, Jonathan Ames and others. The issue also contains new work by Homero Aridjis, Sarah Rothenberg and William T. Vollman amongst others.

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Dark Laughter
Anderson Sherwood
Manufacturer: Boni & Liveright
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UCK2PQ

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Dark Laughter
Sherwood Anderson
Manufacturer: Pocket Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1YWVM

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Dark Laughter
Sherwood Anderson
Manufacturer: Boni & Liveright
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LREGBG

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Dark Laughter
Sherwood Anderson
Manufacturer: Boni & Liveright
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPIAPE

Book Description

He will face the ultimate battle of dark against light. . . .
The flame of hope is flickering throughout the Four Lands. But thanks to Brona, the evil Warlock Lord, a cloud of dark magic is sweeping south, spreading fear and death. Already Brona’s savage armies have crushed the forces of the Elves and their king. Now nothing stands between them and the fair city of Tyrsis. And if Tyrsis falls, the whole Southland will follow, plunged into an endless night of slavery and worse.

The Druid Allanon has dispatched Menion, the Prince of Leah, to aid in the defense of Tyrsis while he himself continues to search for Shea Ohmsford, the young half-elf who bears the awesome burden of wielding the only weapon capable of destroying Brona: the mysterious Sword of Shannara. Yet magic of the fabled weapon makes it as dangerous to Shea as it is to the Warlock Lord. Now, in the very heart of the Dark Lord’s domain, Shea is about to unlock the deadly secret of the Sword–and come face to face with his destiny. . . .

The Sword of Shannara Part 3: The Secret of the Sword is the newest addition to the Del Rey Imagine program, which offers the best in classic fantasy and science fiction for readers 12 and up.

Customer Reviews:

DO NOT BUY THIS.......2006-06-22

I must apoligize for my previos review. I accidentally stated Sword of Shannara was hacked into two parts, but in reality it was three. In all honesty, splitting up LOTR was a good idea but this? now? It was published late 70s and is only 700ish pages long, which makes dividing this up (insert inappropriate word here)'d up

Average customer rating:

A great read
Bad LOTR cover version
Not Free SF Reader
Great book
Tolkien's evil twin

Secret of the Sword (Sword of Shannara)
Terry Brooks
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1417697075

Book Description

THE SWORD OF SHANNARA

Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil had ruined the world and forced mankind to compete with many other races--gnomes, trolls, dwarfs, and elves. But in peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knew little of such troubles.

Then came the giant, forbidding Allanon, possessed of strange Druidic powers, to reveal that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destroy the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rested the hope of all the races.

Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him . . .

THUS BEGAN THE SEEMINGLY HOPELESS QUEST OF A SIMPLE MAN AGAINST THE GREATEST POWER OF EVIL THE WORLD HAD EVER KNOWN.

Download Description

Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peacefulShady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. Butthe supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything inhis wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Swordof Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea,last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races.

Thus begins the enthralling Shannara epic, a spellbinding tale ofadventure, magic, and myth.

The Sword of Shannarais the second volume of the classic seriesthat has become one of the most popular fantasy tales of all time.

Customer Reviews:

A great read.......2007-09-14

After reading the first Shannara books years ago (and all the ensuing books), I attempted to read Lord of the Rings (when the movie came out)and I couldn't muddle through 2 chapters of that book. It was long, drawn out, boring and put me to sleep. I even find the movies boring. Brooks has a style that keeps you reading and wanting more. I see others have said that SoS is a "rip off" of LofR, but I have to disagree. Tolkien didn't have a patent on writing about elves, magic and fantasy. Just as many authors write romance novels and each has their own talent to bring to the table, Brooks has his own style and I, for one, enjoy reading his books.

Bad LOTR cover version.......2007-09-07

I first enjoyed this decades ago, and came back to it as I work through my old books. In some cases this is a great pleasure- either being reminded of some of the reasons I enjoyed it originally, or enjoying `new' ones as an older, different reader. Some books, however, it turns out are best left to nostalgia.

To be fair, I loved it at the time. Like so many Tolkien devotees desperate for more fantasy, I remember my sisters and I devouring this back in the 70s (a nephew of mine even bears the middle name `Shea'). We could not put it down. But twenty years on ... the complete opposite: after a few chapters it was a chore to pick up, and I couldn't force myself more than half way. The style is just plain clumsy: very early on, for example, I was stunned by the way that Alenon dumps a few pages of exposition on us, with not even an attempt to explain why this aloof mystic is suddenly taking on the role of human prologue.

But what was overwhelming, and doubtless has been pointed out a hundred times before, is that this is so obviously a cover version of Lord of the Rings. No, it's not `in the style of', it's unashamedly sticking to a template. It's like Brooks was, understandably, learning his art by using the model of a master, but the copy is so close as to be a (long) writing exercise. Alenon is Gandalf. Shea and Flick are Bilbo and Frodo. Whatever it is I've forgotten now are the Ringwraiths. The dwarf is Gimli. Moreover the structure, the pacing of the book is a slavish copy. Here we are fleeing the shire. Now we're gathering the fellowship. I didn't get that far this time, but I'm sure I recall a desperate trip through underground caves that might just call to mind Moriah.

SoS makes me think of a garage band playing a song you love very badly.

It is hard to do anything original or fresh in this overcrowded cannibalistic genre, but SoS is not even an attempt. Maybe Brooks would have been better off openly writing fan fiction- like Poul and Karen Anderson's excellent `Faith' (from `After the King: Stories in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien') At heart so much fantasy is a mirage, drawing us in with the promised pleasure of the elves, wizards and heroes we so loved in LOTR, but ultimately leaving us unsatisfied. These mythical figures weren't great in Tolkien merely because he named them, it's because he invested them with dignity, potency and history. In recalling these images, even as a façade, derivatives do give the pleasure of reflection, but little more.

That being said, the genre can still occasionally offer something more satisfying. I don't quite know how Gemmell gets away with it, but he manages somehow to produce moments of purity from stock standard fantasy settings. In `The Knight' Wolfe soars apart from the squawking pack, ignoring mandatory plot conventions in celebrating the surreal and moral context of many an Arthurian tale: he, thankfully, is well aware (as Tolkien was) that Tolkien hardly invented elves, wizards or heroes!

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Commercial quest fantasy clone blueprint.

Elves, dwarves, wizards, ok, druid, but not a lot of sickle and magic potion work, or slaughterning and divination to be seen. You have to have a magic sword as well. Obviously, as a deliberate experiment to see if you could sell this sort of thing it succeeded wildly, and spawned an industry, and a lot of boring books, but so does anything like that I guess. An ok book.

Great book.......2007-08-16

This book looks like a very long book to read at first. It is long, but this is one of the books that once you start it you can't put it down. You read it so fast it seems like it is only a 200 page book. The only thing that I didn't like is that at one point in the story they were telling five different adventures and it was easy to get lost. Although each one was interesting. If you like the book Eragon, this book will be great for you. It is filled with magic and lots of fantasy considering the races. I thought the idea of the way that the different races were formed was very interesting. It is thought that everyone was once man. After the First Great Wars, they split. Depending on what kind of terrain they lived on is the way they morphed. This book has a lot of long talks about the history of this story. They kind of bored me. But later on in the book every new chapter is something good or something bad. There is always a surprise in the next few pages. It keeps you going and wanting to read. It starts out a complete surprise to just a simple villager in the south who is expected to believe that he is the only one that can save everyone in the lands. The first part of the story is him learning about the history and traveling to the Sword of Shannara, the most important piece that he needs. I suggest this book to anyone that wants a good fantasy book.

Tolkien's evil twin.......2007-06-23

Don't read this. You'll find the same story within the text of LotR.
That's all I need say.

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