Nabokov, who I loved more than any other writer when I was…
“Nabokov, who I loved more than any other writer when I was young, had such contempt for dialogue. When I was younger, I never wrote a word of dialogue because of him. I thought it was a childish part of a novel.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Contempt for dialogue can stifle a writer's voice, yet dialogue is essential for character depth.
In simple terms: Disliking speech limits storytelling.
Practice dialogue to enrich characters.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- screenwriting
- teaching
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you make dialogue feel authentic?
- What fears hold you back from writing speech?
Avoiding dialogue may lead to flat narratives.