Fine Lines: Vladimir Nabokov’s Scientific Art

Previous books have surveyed Nabokov’s lepidoptery work but this is the first volume to consider the full range of his scientific accomplishments in detail. The book showcases the color drawings Nabokov made, not just of butterflies and their distinctive markings, but of their anatomy as well, as part of his work at the American Museum of Natural History and Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology. Editors Blackwell (The Quill and the Scapel) and Johnson (coauthor of Nabokov’s Blues) discuss Nabokov’s drawings in light of his research notes and academic papers to show that several of his taxonomic hypotheses turned out to be correct. The color drawings are followed by 10 essays that consider the literary implications of Nabokov’s scientific work and the lasting effects of his entomological theories and field work. Robert Dirig’s essay takes the reader on a journey from the wetlands around Cornell University to Appalachia, where Nabokov hunted the butterflies that would later appear in the novel Pale Fire. Brian Boyd contributes a short but instructive essay on the role of diana butterflies in Lolita. This detailed and gorgeous volume of Nabokov’s scientific achievements inspires both artistic and aesthetic appreciation for readers, historians, and scientists alike. Color illus. (Mar.)