I was 18 just returning from my 2 years of service in the IDF. I signed up for the coming fall semester at a local college in Santa Cruz, CA. I got a part time job at a well known and unbelievably expansive Book Store and settled in nicely. Jonathan Franzen, who authored "The Corrections," was a staple in the store and frequently stopped at the information desk to chat, find books on native birds im Santa Cruz, and discuss some of his methods when writing. So I asked him, "Top 3 favorite books, ever." He laughed and said, "Fiction died in 1955 when Nabokov's son finished translating 'Lolita.' Although I try to write it, I don't read fiction at all anymore. Nabokov invented and destroyed fiction in that book. I highly recommend it." So, with that in mind, I was ready to dig in. And I was enchanted so much by the prose that the content was fairly unnoticeable. However, it was a huge part of the book's takeaway, for me personally. And it was everything Franzen said it was, and so much more. That was 28 years ago. I've been reading nonfiction ever since. Fiction was invented and destroyed by that Novel. And if I could have lunch with anyone that ever lived, it would be Vladimir Nabokov. I would just ask him why? Why did you write it? And hopefully I wouldn't get a response.
So, nonfiction is all I care about now. Am I alone?
by justsomedude1111