Synopsis
The state has been recently taken over and is being run by the tyrannical and philistine ‘Average Man’ party. Under the slogans of equality and happiness for all, it has done away with individualism and freedom of thought. Only John Krug, a brilliant philosopher, stands up to the regime. His antagonist, the leader of the new party, is his old school enemy, Paduk – known as the ‘Toad’. Grieving over his wife’s recent death, Krug is at first dismissive of Paduk’s activities and sees no threat in them. But the sinister machine which Paduk has set in motion may prove stronger than the individual, stronger even than the grotesque ‘Toad’ himself.Reviews
Customer Review: 05 May 2009
Reviewer: ken mc sweeney
'This novel is not one of Nabokovs best. Altough the novel is still filled with rich allusions and symbols it doesn''t seem to flow as effortlessly as his other works. It feels somewhat contrived, maybe due to the subject matter and the way Nabokov relates to it.'
» Submit a reviewCritic Review:
‘The variety, force and richness of Nabokov’s perceptions have not even the palest rival in modern fiction’ Martin Amis, New Statesman