The Original of Laura

The Original of Laura is Vladimir Nabokov’s final, unfinished novel, presented here in fragment form. It centers on Dr Philip Wild, a man of brilliance, wit, fortune and formidable size, who endures humiliations at the hands of his wife Flora. In the manuscript, Flora—young, slender and morally wayward—appears as My Laura in a narrative written by one of her lovers. Wild ultimately seeks to find meaning in life through a path of self-destruction, beginning with the dramatic removal of his toes. The work exists as an incomplete, maddening masterpiece that has inspired considerable literary discussion about Nabokov’s approach to memory, obsession, and narrative form.

This edition presents Nabokov’s fragments in a cohesive volume, offering readers a glimpse into a late, unresolved literary project. The story foregrounds themes of infidelity, identity, and the tension between artifice and reality, while presenting a character study of a man who confronts decline with a complex blend of intellect and bravado.

Features

• Unfinished novel in fragments by Vladimir Nabokov
• Dr Philip Wild, brilliant, witty, wealthy, and bulk
• Flora appears as My Laura in the manuscript
• Infidelities documented by one of Flora's lovers
• Wild seeks pleasure in life through self-destruction
• 2012 Penguin edition, 280 pages, paperback