368. Novel With Cocaine

Novel With Cocaine
M. Ageyev
1934
Around 200 pages

It's been awhile since we have had a Russian novel on this List, so it's nice to get their cheerful perspective about what's going on in the world. The time period provided an interesting backdrop to a not so interesting story.

The narrator is addicted to cocaine and has toxic relationships with women. It reads as an essay, which makes sense as it was first published in a literary magazine. I enjoyed the philosophical musings, even though addiction isn't my favorite topic. 

Nabokov called this novel decadent and disgusting. Maybe the List has desensitized me with its Rabelaisian torture, but this didn't strike me as more disgusting than say, Henry Miller or Nabokov himself. Addiction is disgusting. Just wait until we reach Trainspotting. 

If it made Nabokov clutch his pearls, it's worth reading. But not the most enjoyable entry on the List.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The English translation of the title fails to convey the double meaning of the Russian "Роман," meaning both "novel" and "romance".

M. Ageyev is a pen name. Upon its French publication, there were rumors that it was a work of Nabokov. His son has denied it. It doesn't feel very Nabokov-y to me.

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