Speak, MemorySpeak, Memory
Score Classic
What it's about
Vladimir Nabokov remembers his childhood in a wealthy, liberal family in St. Petersburg before the Revolution: summers on the family estate, his tutors and governesses, hunting butterflies, his first love, and his beloved father, a politician later assassinated in exile. Then comes the flight from Russia, Cambridge, and years among the émigrés of Berlin, until he leaves for America in 1940.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction and is often called the most beautiful memoir in English. Nabokov's prose is dazzling.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's more a series of exquisite scenes than a story. The language is ornate and playful.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #105 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #178 of the 762 classics we rank
- #559 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Vladimir Nabokov
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Quick answers
Is Speak, Memory worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best nonfiction and is often called the most beautiful memoir in English. It ranks #559 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Speak, Memory about?
Vladimir Nabokov remembers his childhood in a wealthy, liberal family in St. Petersburg before the Revolution: summers on the family estate, his tutors and governesses, hunting butterflies, his first love, and his beloved father, a politician later assassinated in exile. Then comes the flight from Russia, Cambridge, and years among the émigrés of Berlin, until he leaves for America in 1940.
How long does it take to read Speak, Memory?
About 10 hours (402 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Speak, Memory?
If you liked it, try Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The Years by Annie Ernaux or Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.