Psychopathology in the Russian works of Vladimir Nabokov

Abstract

The writer Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977) is well known for his disdainful remarks about psychoanalysis. Yet a closer look at his works reveals a strong interest in psychopathology. This article focuses on that aspect of his writing, particularly in some of his Russian novels - The Eye (La méprise) foremost among them. We aim to define the features of his psychopathological poetics, which mimic certain mental disorders while simultaneously creating an unreal universe. We will also explore what these narrative strategies reveal about Nabokov’s complex relationship with psychoanalysis.