A Response to Nabokov

Nabokov feels that a reader is a patron to the writer. As if the writer were a host greeting a customer to come on in, table for one? Only at this establishment there are rules for how your business with the writer should be dealt with. Nabokov describes a writer as somewhat of a puppeteer and his words are the puppet from which the strings or plot are derived from. He entices the reader into taking a quiz that undoubtedly makes one feel their reading the latest addition of Glamour magazine. His insight on the mastery of how a writer is deemed great is truthful, however not everyone may form an equal opinion. Nabokov stated after reviewing answers most students submitted he said, “the good reader is one who has imagination, memory, a dictionary and some artistic sense”. As someone venturing into the world of education myself I feel this statement derails from the concept of a persons development. For example, if one is not advanced in his/her vocabulary how pleasurable would a story be if one had to look up every other word? I believe a good reader is someone who allows he or she the time to explore forms of writing beyond tabloids and magazines. The more they dive into the unknown will also spark further interest for literature. Having said that, I believe in myself as a reader and only hope to broaden the horizon for my own status as a good reader.

nabokov.pdf