The awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature is always a global event. Over the years of its existence, many people have received this high award. outstanding writers, poets and playwrights who made enormous contributions to culture. But not all decisions of the Committee can be called unambiguous, because more than once there have been openly controversial awards.
We remembered five Russian classics who, for one reason or another, never received the Nobel Prize.
When in 1906 Lev Nikolaevich learned that Russian Academy Sciences nominated him as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, he made every effort to ensure that he would never receive the high award. And the Nobel Prize that year was awarded to the Italian poet Giosue Carducci, whose name not every literary critic will remember today.
Here is what Tolstoy wrote in connection with the failure to award him the Nobel Prize: “Firstly, it saved me from a great difficulty - to manage this money, which, like any money, in my conviction, can only bring evil; and secondly, it gave me the honor and great pleasure to receive expressions of sympathy from so many people, although unknown to me, but still deeply respected by me.” This is all Lev Nikolaevich.
Historical novels Merezhkovsky were extremely popular in Europe at the beginning of the last century. Especially the books from the “Christ and Antichrist” trilogy. Even during the author’s lifetime, the same “Julian the Apostate” went through dozens of reprints. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1914, but the First World War, and the Swedish academicians had no time for Merezhkovsky...
In 1915, despite the military conflict, the high award was still presented, but, alas, not to Dmitry Sergeevich, but French writer. Merezhkovsky, already in exile, was nominated for the Nobel Prize several more times. But, as we know, it went to another emigrant writer -.
The Nobel Committee was quite pleased with Gorky difficult relationships. Here is what the Swedish literary critic Alfred Jensen wrote about him: “Gorky’s anarchist and often completely raw creations, without a doubt, in no way fit into the framework of the Nobel Prize.” Despite such a “flattering review,” the “petrel of the revolution” was still nominated several times for the high award, but each time he was bypassed by no less talented and honored writers. For example, the 1923 prize (for which Gorky applied) was awarded to one of greatest poets 20th century - to the Irish.
“The author of the immoral and successful novel Lolita cannot under any circumstances be considered a candidate for the prize,” wrote Anders Österling, a permanent member of the Swedish Academy, in 1963. Apparently, other works of the author, written by him both in Russian and in English, were not taken into account. For example, a Japanese writer found himself hostage to exactly the same situation.
He said that this writer has a noble heart and a strong will. The works of the master of the pen attracted the attention of critics of various orientations; he was often accused of pornography, a break with the Russian literary diaspora, excessive snobbery and even creative theft.
But it is worth saying that Nabokov’s stories were among the most read and reviewed in the literature of the Russian diaspora in the 20s and 30s. Vladimir Vladimirovich’s books are read to this day: critics meticulously discuss his novels, famous directors produce films, and writers look for new grains in his amazing and multifaceted biography.
Childhood and youth
Born April 10 (22), 1899 in the city on the Neva great writer, who left a mark in the history of both Russian and American literature. The future novelist, along with his brothers and sisters, was brought up in a privileged noble family and did not know what poverty was. Vladimir Nabokov has a rich pedigree: the writer used to say that the ancestors of his paternal grandmother can be traced back to the 14th century.
The writer's father - the son of the Minister of Justice Dmitry Nikolaevich - was called Vladimir. In 1887 he graduated from school with a gold medal. Vladimir Sr. personified courage, integrity and honesty. He worked as a lawyer, was the founder of the Cadet Party, and was also known as a journalist and political figure. Honor and dignity were the main components for Vladimir Dmitrievich.
In 1911, a man abandoned white glove Russian playwright Mikhail Suvorin, who at that time was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Novoe Vremya”. The reason for the competition was the publication of journalist Nikolai Snessarev, where the provocateur spoke impartially about the Nabokov family, calling this gentleman “a man who married money.” However, the fight never took place. It is noteworthy that before this incident, the writer’s father spoke unflatteringly about the duel and believed that the cruel tradition was contrary Russian legislation and common sense.
The writer’s mother, Elena Ivanovna, came from a noble family: she was the daughter of landowner and millionaire Ivan Vasilyevich Rukavishnikov, co-owner of the Lena gold mines.
Vladimir Nabokov's childhood passed in three-story house on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, which is up to February Revolution was considered the main fashionable haven for aristocratic ladies and gentlemen. Also, a large family vacationed on their Vyra estate near Gatchina or traveled abroad - to Italy or Sweden.
Vladimir and Elena tried to give their offspring a decent education: the children read classic literature, and Benois and Dobuzhinsky came to teach them how to draw. Also, young Nabokov did not neglect sports: the boy loved tennis, football, cycling and playing chess. It is known that in the house of the future literary genius they spoke three languages fluently: Russian, French and English, and the gifted boy mastered the latter to perfection.
But the Russian alphabet was initially difficult for little Lodi (Nabokov’s childhood nickname), because the child rearranged everything in the English manner. For example, instead of the word “have breakfast” from Vladimir one could hear “breakfast” (“breakfast” in English - breakfast). After homeschooling Nabokov entered the Tenishev School, from which the poet once graduated Silver Age, prose writer Nikolai Stanyukovich, publicist Oleg Volkov and other famous literary figures.
Vladimir came to school by car, accompanied by a driver in livery. By the way, the Nabokov family had three cars, which at that time was considered an unprecedented luxury. During his studies, the young man zealously pored over literature and was interested in entomology; in particular, the future writer loved collecting butterflies. It is noteworthy that these winged insects appeared in Vladimir’s works more than 570 times.
Literature
The creative biography of the master of the pen begins in 1916. Then young writer publishes a poetry collection “Poems”, which includes 68 works. It is noteworthy that his teacher of Russian literature, Vladimir Gippius, criticized Nabokov’s first creative attempts to smithereens. He advised the student to forget about high art and direct your energies in a different direction. Fortunately, Lodi did not attach importance to the words of his teacher, letting his instructions fall on deaf ears.
In 1917, when Russian Empire the first seeds were “planted” October revolution, the Nabokov family was forced to flee to Crimea. There, the aspiring writer gained popularity: his works were published in the newspaper “Yalta Voice” and were also used by theater troupes. At the beginning of his work, Nabokov gave preference to poetry: in 1918, Nabokov published the almanac “Two Paths”, in which he published poetic works Vladimir and his classmate Andrei Balashov. Among other things, the writer gets acquainted with rhythmic theory, which he tries to implement in his works.
The Bolshevik coup dealt a blow to many families, and the Nabokovs were no exception. Therefore, the writer and his parents moved to Berlin, the largest center of Russian emigration of those years. While the family lives in the capital of Germany, Vladimir receives higher education at Cambridge University, later teaching English language and also translates American literature.
Book by Vladimir Nabokov " Complete collection stories" In 1926, Nabokov's debut novel, Mashenka, was published. This book is imbued from cover to cover with philosophical thought and reasoning about the role of love on earth. It is worth noting that the plot of the work revolves around emigration, because main character Ganin moves from Russia to an unfamiliar country. The protagonist learns that the wife of his friend Alferov, Mashenka, is going to visit her husband. Seeing the girl’s photo, Ganin sees his ex-love, with whom he broke up when he was young. Therefore, the already forgotten feeling of the protagonist begins to fill his heart again, and Mashenka lives in memories, remaining behind the scenes in reality.
In general, Nabokov’s first book is the apogee of Bunin’s influence: Vladimir Vladimirovich tried to follow the beaten path of this writer. Therefore, in 1926, the student sent a copy of the first novel to his mentor with the signature: “Don’t judge me too harshly, I beg you.” Ivan Alekseevich did not even bother to answer the aspiring novelist, making notes on one of the pages of the book: “Oh, how bad!” The fact is that Bunin judged a writer’s talent by his elegance in literature, putting the author’s reasoning in the background.
Also in Berlin, Nabokov wrote the novels “The Gift” (1935–1937), “Invitation to Execution” (1935–1936), “Despair” (1934), etc. Most of the manuscripts were published in the journal “Modern Notes”, and Vladimir was recognized under the pseudonym “Sirin”.
In 1936, when Nabokov came to power, Nabokov’s wife was fired due to the xenophobia that was progressing in the country. From Berlin the road led to France, and from there the writer left for America, where from 1940 to 1958 he worked as a teacher at American universities. Vladimir Nabokov's lectures on literature were popular among students, because the master was one of those few teachers who could make any listener absorb knowledge like a sponge.
Having become a writer, Sirin invented own style: his works were characterized by a bright and unique handwriting, which was later borrowed by some authors, for example, Sokolov or Bitov. Nabokov, like , meticulously analyzed state of mind the main characters and “mixed” all the synesthetic sensations and memories with an unpredictable climax and denouement. The master also loved puns and meticulous descriptions of even the most insignificant details.
In 1955, the Parisian publishing house Olympia Press published Vladimir Vladimirovich’s novel “Lolita” - the most famous philosophical work writer with a touch of frustration and eroticism. In the 1960s, Nabokov translated the work into Russian. By the way, “Lolita” is not the only work based on the love of an adult for a teenager. Before this, the writer published a book with a similar theme - “Camera Obscura” (1932).
Book by Vladimir Nabokov "Lolita" “Lolita” is considered a world bestseller, but at first, for obvious reasons, the book suffered the same fate as Joyce’s novel “Ulysses.” Publishers considered Nabokov's plot pornographic, and in some countries a taboo was imposed on the work. And this is not surprising, because the master described the passionate feelings of an adult man for the 12-year-old nymphet Dolores.
Still from Stanley Kubrick's film based on Vladimir Nabokov's book "Lolita" However, Sirin himself was frightened by such thoughts, so at one time he wanted, like, to burn his manuscript, which was written thanks to the influence of the English sexologist Havelock Ellis. It was because of this eccentric novel that they did not dare to give Sirin the well-deserved Nobel Prize in Literature. Also, the story of a frivolous girl and her adult admirer was filmed twice: in 1962 (the script was written by Sirin himself), and in 1997, directed by Adrian Lyne.
Personal life
According to rumors, Nabokov was extremely amorous as a child: when he was 15, he fell in love with the peasant daughter Polya, and at the age of 16 he developed feelings for a plump, short girl, Valentina Shulgina. According to the writer's recollections, it was love at first sight. Young people met in secret and hid from the eyes of their parents. After graduating from the gymnasium, Nabokov promised to marry Tamara (as the writer called his passion), but after moving to Crimea their connection was severed. Shulgina became the prototype of Mashenka in novel of the same name.
In 1922, Nabokov met with Svetlana Siewert, but their union was not successful: the beloved’s parents were against Vladimir, because they believed that the writer did not have a permanent job at that time.
In 1925, the writer married a girl of Jewish origin, Vera Solonim, who became his guardian. literary heritage. For example, after the death of her husband, she translated Nabokov’s novel “Pale Fire”. This beautiful black-eyed woman not only shared the master’s love for creativity, but also engaged with him in his favorite pastime - catching butterflies. On May 10, 1934, a son, Dmitry, was born into the Nabokov family, who in the future became an American translator (including translating his father’s works) and an opera singer.
Death
IN last years Vladimir lives in a picturesque city in western Switzerland - Motreux - and is engaged in literary activity. Notable novels written by Nabokov during this period include Pale Fire (1961) and Adu (1969).
In the summer of 1977, Vladimir Nabokov died of a severe bronchial infection. The body of the literary genius was cremated and buried in the Clarens cemetery. On the novelist’s grave it is written: “Vladimir Nabokov, writer.”
“Laura and Her Original” is the last and unfinished novel of the writer, published posthumously. The master left a will that the manuscript be destroyed, but the writer’s widow disobeyed her husband’s last wish and, shortly before her death, asked Dmitry to fulfill his father’s will. But in 2008, Dmitry Vladimirovich decided that the writer’s unfinished novel should be published.
Quotes
- “Loneliness, as a situation, can be corrected, but as a condition, it is an incurable disease.”
- "Three syllable formula human life: the irrevocability of the past, the insatiability of the present and the unpredictability of the future.”
- "Literature professors tend to come up with problems like, 'What was the author's intent?' or even worse: “What does the book want to say?” I belong to those writers who, having conceived a book, have no other goal than to get rid of it.”
- “Life is a big surprise. Perhaps death will be an even bigger surprise.”
Bibliography
- "Mashenka" (1926)
- "King, Queen, Jack" (1928)
- "Defense of Luzhin" (1930)
- "Feat" (1932)
- Camera Obscura (1932)
- "Despair" (1934)
- "Invitation to Execution" (1936)
- "The Gift" (1938)
- "The True Life of Sebastian Knight" (1941)
- "Under the Sign of the Illegitimate" (1947)
- "Lolita" (eng. Lolita) (1955)
- "Pnin" (eng. Pnin) (1957)
- "Pale Fire" (1962)
- "Ada, or the Joy of Passion: A Family Chronicle" (1969)
- "Laura and Her Original" (1975-1977, published posthumously in 2009)
Besides Vladimir himself, his mother and his wife were synesthetes; His son Dmitry Vladimirovich Nabokov also had synesthesia.
Nobel Prize for Literature
Beginning in the 1960s, rumors spread about Vladimir Nabokov's possible nomination for the Nobel Prize. Nabokov was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature at least three times: in 1963 by Robert Adams, 1964 by Elizabeth Hill, and 1965 by Andrew J Chiappe and Frederick Wilcox Dupee.
In 1972, two years after receiving the prestigious prize, Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote a letter to the Swedish committee recommending that Nabokov be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Although the nomination did not take place, Nabokov expressed deep gratitude to Solzhenitsyn for this gesture in a letter sent in 1974, after Solzhenitsyn's expulsion from the USSR. Subsequently, the authors of many publications (in particular, the London Times, The Guardian, New York Times) ranked Nabokov among those writers who were undeservedly not included in the lists of nominees.
Entomology
Nabokov was professionally engaged in entomology. His interest in this area was influenced by the books of Maria Sibylla Merian, which he found in the attic of the Vyra estate. Nabokov made a significant contribution to lepidopterology (the branch of entomology dedicated to Lepidoptera), discovering many species of butterflies; over 30 species of butterflies (including Madeleinea lolita) and the genus of butterflies Nabokovia were named in his honor and after the names of the heroes of his works.
Part of the collection of butterflies collected by Nabokov in the 1940s - 1950s, located in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (USA), with the help of zoologist N.A. Formozov, after the death of the writer, was donated to the Nabokov Museum. Nabokov worked at the Harvard Museum for seven years (1941-1948) and most of his personal collection, collected over these years, was donated to this museum. The butterflies in this collection were collected during his summer travels throughout the western United States. It is noteworthy that the description of these travels, including cafes and motels, was subsequently included in the novel Lolita as a description of the travels of a pedophile criminal and his victim.
After the death of the writer, his wife Vera donated a collection of butterflies in 4324 copies to the University of Lausanne.
In 1945, based on an analysis of the genitalia of male blueberry butterflies, he developed new classification for the genus Polyommatus, different from the generally accepted one. Later, Nabokov's point of view on the taxonomy of pigeons was confirmed using DNA analysis.
According to biologist Nikolai Formozov, butterflies were an integral part of figurative system most of Nabokov’s works: for example, in the story “Christmas” Sleptsov’s internal monologue is interrupted at the word “death” by the unexpected appearance of the Attacus atlas butterfly from the cocoon. In the novel “Invitation to an Execution,” Cincinnatus, when writing a letter, is distracted from it to touch a pear peacock eye (Saturnia pyri), which later, after the execution of the protagonist, flies out through the broken window of the cell. A swarm of white night and bright exotic butterflies circles over the deceased Pilgram in the finale story of the same name. The angel in the story “Strike of a Wing,” according to the writer’s description, is like a moth: “The brown fur on the wings smoked and shimmered with frost<…>[he] rested on his palms like a sphinx” (“sphinx” is the Latin name for one of the genera of hawkmoth butterflies - Sphinx). The route of the swallowtail, described in the book “Other Shores,” repeats the route of his great-great-grandfather, the Decembrist M. A. Nazimov, to the place of his Siberian exile. In total, butterflies are mentioned in the writer’s works more than 570 times.
Essays (“Nikolai Gogol”, 1944).
Translations into English of “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin, “Hero of Our Time” by Mikhail Lermontov and “The Lay of Igor’s Campaign”.
The poetics of stylistically refined prose is composed of both realistic and modernist elements (linguostylistic play, all-encompassing parody, imaginary hallucinations). A principled individualist, Nabokov is ironic in his perception of any type of mass psychology and global ideas (especially Marxism, Freudianism). Peculiar literary style Nabokov was characterized by playing a charade of reminiscences and a puzzle of encrypted quotes.
Nabokov - synesthete
Synesthesia is a phenomenon of perception when, upon stimulation of one sense organ, along with sensations specific to it, sensations corresponding to another sense organ also arise, in other words, signals emanating from different sense organs are mixed and synthesized. A person not only hears sounds, but also sees them, not only touches an object, but also feels its taste. The word "synesthesia" comes from Συναισθησία and means a mixed sensation (as opposed to "anesthesia" - the absence of sensations).
This is what Vladimir Nabokov wrote in his autobiography:
The confession of a synesthete will be called pretentious and boring by those who are protected from such seeps and strains by denser partitions than I am protected. But to my mother it all seemed quite natural. We talked about this when I was in my seventh year, I was building a castle out of multi-colored alphabet cubes and casually noticed to her that they were colored incorrectly. We immediately found out that some of my letters were the same color as hers, and in addition, she was optically affected by musical notes. They did not arouse any chromaticism in me.
Besides Vladimir himself, his mother and his wife were synesthetes; His son Dmitry Vladimirovich Nabokov also had synesthesia.
Nobel Prize for Literature
Beginning in the 1960s, rumors spread about Vladimir Nabokov's possible nomination for the Nobel Prize.
In 1972, two years after receiving the prestigious prize, Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote a letter to the Swedish committee recommending that Nabokov be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Although the nomination did not take place, Nabokov expressed deep gratitude to Solzhenitsyn for this gesture in a letter sent in 1974, after Solzhenitsyn's expulsion from the USSR. Subsequently, the authors of many publications (in particular, London Times, The Guardian, New York Times) ranked Nabokov among those writers who were undeservedly not included in the lists of nominees.
Teaching activities
Taught Russian and world literature, translated “Eugene Onegin” and “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” into English. The lectures were published posthumously by the American bibliographer Fredson Bowers with the assistance of the widow of the writer V. E. Nabokova and the son of D. V. Nabokov: “Lectures on Literature” (1980), “Lectures on Russian Literature” (1981), “Lectures on Don Quixote” (1983).
Chess
He was seriously interested in chess: he was a fairly strong practical player and published a number of interesting chess problems.
In some novels, the chess motif becomes cross-cutting: in addition to the obvious dependence of the fabric of “Luzhin’s Defense” on the chess theme, in “ true life Sebastian Knight”, many meanings are revealed if you read the names of the characters correctly: the main character Knight is a knight on the novel’s chessboard, Bishop is a bishop.
Leo Tolstoy (1902–1906)
© RIA Novosti
The history of the Nobel Prize in Literature began in 1901 - and immediately with a scandal. Its first laureate was French poet Sully-Prudhomme. Forty-two Swedish critics and writers - including future Nobel laureates Selma Lagerlöf and Werner von Heydenstam - were dumbfounded: the main author in the world, in their opinion, was Leo Tolstoy. August Strindberg launched into a long-winded article, calling academics unscrupulous artisans and amateurs in literature. Tolstoy himself received, the authors of which called him “the most revered patriarch modern literature” and justified themselves: the committee’s choice, they say, does not reflect the opinions of either critics or readers. In response to Oscar Levertin, one of the forty-two authors, Tolstoy said: “I was very pleased that the Nobel Prize was not awarded to me.<…>this saved me from a great difficulty in disposing of this money, which, like any money, in my conviction, can only bring evil.”
A piquant detail: among the twenty-three contenders for the first prize, Tolstoy was not present at all. But now - mainly through the efforts of French academicians - the count was nominated every year. However, he never received the prize, not least because of the unflattering description that Alfred Jensen, an expert on Slavic literature, wrote for the committee. Jensen's philosophy of the late Tolstoy is destructive and contrary to the idealistic nature of the prize. Later, however, the researcher spoke more flatteringly about Tolstoy - but he still was not offended. In 1906, the writer even of his Swedish colleagues “tried to ensure that I was not awarded this prize,” because “if this happened, it would be very unpleasant for me to refuse.” The committee listened and was relieved to stop putting him on the list.
Dmitry Merezhkovsky (1914, 1915, 1930–1937)
© RIA Novosti
After Tolstoy's death, the most famous Russian novelist in Europe became Dmitry Merezhkovsky, whose candidacy was proposed in 1914 by the first director of the Pushkin House, Nestor Kotlyarevsky. The committee again turned to Alfred Jensen for feedback: the philologist noted the kinship of his work with the works of Nadson, Pushkin and Baudelaire and generally praised the candidate “for his artistic mastery of depiction, universal content and idealistic direction.” However, history intervened in the matter: the First World War broke out - and they decided not to award the prize.
The following year, Merezhkovsky was nominated by a Swedish writer, at whose suggestion Selma Lagerlöf had already received the award. In his new review, Jensen was merciless towards Merezhkovsky, calling him “a collector of details, quotes and simply copied pages” and pointing out that he was far from real masters like Leo Tolstoy; an astonishing judgment, considering that he had previously criticized Tolstoy. However, when the author of “At the Lower Depths” and “Mother” first appeared among the nominees, Jensen again changed his position, complaining that “Maxim Gorky was included in the 1918 list of Russian writers, while the name of Merezhkovsky does not appear,” and that Merezhkovsky's legacy "will forever preserve his name regardless of the Nobel Prize."
Low competition could have played into Merezhkovsky’s hands: warring Europe had no time for literature. But in February, the committee added thirteen more names left over from last year to the eleven applicants. The laureate then became Romain Rolland, who later himself became three Russian authors - Maxim Gorky, Ivan Bunin and Konstantin Balmont.
Merezhkovsky again began to compete for the prize only fifteen years later. The poet and translator Sigurd Agrel nominated it for seven years in a row - sometimes alone, sometimes in company with Bunin and Gorky. Merezhkovsky was considered by many to be the favorite (feuilletonist Alexander Amfitheatrov even rushed to congratulate him on receiving the Nobel Prize), but the writer himself did not overestimate his chances. Vera Bunina, as Merezhkovsky busily suggested that Bunin share the prize: if one of them wins, he will give the second 200,000 francs. Bunin refused with contempt, and in 1933 he received it - solo. Merezhkovsky, however, did not give up trying - he made connections, wrote letters, became friends with Gustav Nobel, Alfred's nephew - but in vain: he never received the award.
Maxim Gorky (1918, 1923, 1928, 1933)
© RIA Novosti
Maxim Gorky was not nominated for the Nobel Prize as often as some - only four times. But he received nominations with mathematical precision: once every five years and always in the year of his next anniversary.
Gorky presented a problem for the Nobel Committee. On the one hand, it was impossible to ignore a talent of such magnitude; on the other, the Swedes were embarrassed by his political views. The same Jensen in 1918, when the fifty-year-old Gorky was nominated for the first time, praised early works writer and - later: “anarchist and often completely crude creations” of Gorky “in no way fit into the framework of the Nobel Prize.” However, the award was not presented that time again.
Five years later, Jensen’s successor Anton Karlgren added new accusations: in Gorky’s work after 1905, in his opinion, there is “not the slightest echo of ardent love for the homeland,” and in general his books are a complete “sterile desert.” The committee also agreed with him, preferring Gorky (and at the same time Bunin) to the Irishman William Butler Yeats.
In 1928, two Swedish writers vouched for the “petrel of the revolution” - Werner von Heydenstam and Thor Hedberg. Nobel Committee was impressed by the persistence of the fans of the Russian author, and Gorky was even considered a favorite, but the prize was won by the Norwegian novelist Sigrid Undset.
Finally, in 1933, Sigurd Agrel nominated Gorky. According to him, the prize should either be awarded to Bunin, or divided between him and Merezhkovsky (the latter would have liked this option), or divided between Bunin and Gorky. The committee gave preference to the author of “The Life of Arsenyev”. Gorky died in 1936, without waiting for another nomination.
Vladimir Nabokov (1963–…)
© Horst Tappe/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Back in the 1930s, when Bunin, Gorky and Merezhkovsky were fighting for the prize, Vera Bunina wrote in her diary: “I read Sirina. How light it is and how modern it is. This is who will soon be a candidate for the Nobel Prize.” The prediction almost came true: Nabokov received his first nomination only in 1963. By this point he had already become one of the best novelists of the century, but one of his books still embarrassed the academy: “The author of the immoral and successful novel Lolita cannot under any circumstances be considered as a candidate for the prize,” wrote a permanent member of the Swedish Academy Anders Oesterling.
For at least three years in a row, Nabokov was among the nominees, but lost. In 1964, the prize was awarded to Sartre (the Frenchman refused it), and in 1965, to Nabokov’s former compatriot Sholokhov. Most likely, Nabokov was nominated later (we will find out about this when the archives are opened). In a May 1969 review of Ada, New York Times critic John Leonard wrote, "If he doesn't win the Nobel Prize, it will be because it's unworthy of him."
In 1970, Alexander Solzhenitsyn became the laureate. Nabokov was not enthusiastic about the author of The Gulag Archipelago, as well as Brodsky, but he never criticized them in the press and spoke with reserved respect. He responded that Nabokov had left his native language, but recognized in him “a dazzling literary talent, exactly what we call genius,” and publicly asked the Nobel Committee to finally pay tribute to the Russian-American writer.
When Solzhenitsyn was deprived of citizenship and expelled from the USSR in February 1974, Nabokov immediately wrote to him, thanked him for his support and invited him to see him. In the fall, Solzhenitsyn arrived in the Swiss city of Montreux, where Nabokov and his wife lived, and received a note inviting him to meet. Without answering anything, Nabokov immediately ordered a separate office in the restaurant and went there to wait for Solzhenitsyn. The same one was in the dark and spent the entire morning of October 6 calling Nabokov’s empty room, not daring to go into the restaurant. According to culturologist Boris Paramonov, Nabokov deliberately “avoided meeting Solzhenitsyn,” but, apparently, the non-meeting was the result of an absurd accident. Nabokov himself believed that it was Solzhenitsyn who changed his mind about getting to know him. “I probably seem to him too verbal, carelessly apolitical,” he complained to Bella Akhmadulina. The two main Russian emigrant writers never crossed paths. The first couple were Miguel Angel Asturias and Jorge Louis Borges: Asturias became a laureate in 1967, while the Argentine prose writer inappropriately became friends with Pinochet and thereby deprived himself of a chance for a Nobel Prize. Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Nelly Sachs shared the prize for the following year. Well, the third option was the parallel awarding of Mikhail Sholokhov and Anna Akhmatova. Committee Chairman Anders Oesterling, however, considered this move too compromising and insisted that the prize go into one person's hands. It was received by Sholokhov, who was nominated for the seventh time. A year later, Akhmatova died, and this nomination remained her only one.