"Symbols and Signs" by Vladimir Nabokov (1948)

Episode 11 is here, and this week we've been sitting with Vladimir Nabokov's "Symbols and Signs," a story so brief it almost sneaks up on you, yet so precise in its grief that it lingers long after the last page. This one genuinely touched a nerve for both of us. Nabokov manages to capture loss with devastating clarity. For both of us, Lolita was the only Nabokov we'd read before this. What struck us most was finding out just how much this quiet little story has inspired other writers over the years. It has a reach far beyond its size, and that made the read all the more exciting. Take a read, then take a listen! Get the book: Support your local bookstore or grab it through Bookshop.org link Links from the Episode:  The Eve of St. Agnes by John Keats: link Symbols, Signs, and Saints by David M. Rubin: link Referential by Lorrie Moore: link