“Glory (Podvig:Подвиг)“ by Vladimir Nabokov, 1931

“Glory (Podvig:Подвиг)“ by Vladimir Nabokov, 1931


Glory is a tale of adventure and "coming of age" during pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. We follow the life and development of Martin Edelweiss, a Swiss-Russian, from childhood to university graduate of Cambridge in England. As the years pass, Martin finds himself in situations, with increasing loftiness and grandiosity, where he feels the need to conquer in order to achieve, in his eyes, a sort of heroic status. Much akin to the “perfect throw” in football—whatever that is.


The crux of the problem is the impotence of the main character; that being, the drive and ambitions without the means and wherewithal to accomplish. Atop those dispositions, there is nothing of notable account about Martin. I found difficulty in growing attached to the protagonist.

With leitmotifs of “light and dark”, “winding paths that disappear into the forest”, “the sound of water”, and the various modes of “journey”, a fairy-tale like quality to the novel is stylistically painted and lends to the enchantment of the story.

However, I found the development of the story sleepy and the stark conclusion dissatisfying. There are some nice turns of phrase and trademark drollery, but an uninspired protagonist and subtle multiplicity of meaning absent made a rather weak story. Overall I found nothing compelling about the novel.



My rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars)