Vera Nabokov - Marriage To Nabokov

Marriage To Nabokov

In Berlin her father co-founded a publishing firm, Orbis, and Vera worked in the office. There when Vladimir Nabokov was considering a project to translate Dostoyevsky in English, he met Véra's father, and he started playing chess with him. Véra admired Vladimir's poetry, which was well-known through émigré publications, and went to his readings. The details of the first meeting between Véra and Vladimir are uncertain; he maintained it was at a charity ball on May 8 (or 9), 1923, but she denied this story. Sometime after that date, the two had a long conversation overlooking a canal, at which Véra wore a mask and recited Vladimir's poetry. They were married on April 15, 1925. She ended her own budding career as a writer to support her husband as critic, reader, and typist, and sustained the family through her work as secretary and translator. Their son, Dmitri, was born on May 10, 1934.

After moving to the United States of America in 1940, she learned to drive and chauffeured her husband on many field trips, notably in the North American West, to hunt butterflies. To protect him she carried a handgun. Nabokov relied on her in his work and "would have been nowhere without her." During his lectures, she would sit in the front row. She was his inspiration, editor, and first reader; all his works are dedicated to her. Lolita was saved by her from the flames more than once. However, personal letters pertaining to her and her marriage were destroyed.