On Nabokov, Ayn Rand and the Libertarian Mind

"Out of the provocative coupling of two highly unlikely bedfellows comes not a double monster but instead a marvelous hybrid of literary analysis, cultural criticism, political commentary and memoir. Bell-Villada’s considerable accomplishment lies not only in illuminating unsettling similarities between Nabokov and Rand (as well as deep and crucial differences), but in convincingly situating them both within a larger, serious and useful contemplation of American libertarianism. Deliciously opinionated, always engaging and at times movingly personal, this is a shrewd and remarkable work. And Louis Begley’s trenchant introduction to Speak, Memory, long-suppressed and printed here for the first time, is a lovely, unexpected bonus."

"Like Nina Khrushcheva and Lila Zanganeh, Bell-Villada has written a book that traces the surprising confluences between his own personal, literary, and political life and Nabokov’s. The work of tracing is engrossing, but no one will confuse it for homage to Nabokov. Though the volume will strike some as calculatedly anti-hagiographical, what public deflation of Nabokov’s reputation the book contains strikes me as more of a side-effect. Bell-Villada’s primary purpose is to weave together memoir, scholarship, and politics in the process of candidly depicting the emotional and moral effects of being captivated or repelled by Nabokov’s words."

"Gene H. Bell-Villada has written a deeply researched, compelling exploration of the parallel worlds of Rand and Nabokov. Yes, they are indeed an ‘odd pair,’ as Bell-Villada points out. But, by exploring the ways these two writers diverge and intersect, Bell-Villada has broken new ground in the study of both these Russian-born novelists. I found his analysis of Rand’s writings to be particularly compelling, such as his pithy observation that Rand’s dystopian vision of the decline of railroads – the central plot point in Atlas Shrugged – is demonstrably false. Those insights alone make this book well worth reading."