Anatomy of a Short Story

Since its first publication in 1948, one of Vladimir Nabokov's shortest short stories, "e;Signs and Symbols,"e; has generated perhaps more interpretations and critical appraisal than any other that he wrote. It has been called "e;one of the greatest short stories ever written"e; and "e;a triumph of economy and force, minute realism and shimmering mystery"e; (Brian Boyd, Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years). Anatomy of a Short Story contains: * the full text of "e;Signs and Symbols,"e; line numbered and referenced throughout * correspondence about the story, most of it never before published, between Nabokov and the editor of The New Yorker, where the story was first published* 33 essays of literary criticism, bringing together classic essays and new interpretations* a round-table discussion in which a screenwriter, a theater scholar, a mathematician, a psychiatrist, and a literary scholar bring their perspectives to bear on "e;Signs and Symbols"e; Anatomy of a Short Story illuminates the ways in which we interpret fiction, and the short story in particular.

Since its first publication in 1948, one of Vladimir Nabokov's shortest short stories, "e;Signs and Symbols,"e; has generated perhaps more interpretations and critical appraisal than any other that he wrote. It has been called "e;one of the greatest short stories ever written"e; and "e;a triumph of economy and force, minute realism and shimmering mystery"e; (Brian Boyd, Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years). Anatomy of a Short Story contains: * the full text of "e;Signs and Symbols,"e; line numbered and referenced throughout * correspondence about the story, most of it never before published, between Nabokov and the editor of The New Yorker, where the story was first published* 33 essays of literary criticism, bringing together classic essays and new interpretations* a round-table discussion in which a screenwriter, a theater scholar, a mathematician, a psychiatrist, and a literary scholar bring their perspectives to bear on "e;Signs and Symbols"e; Anatomy of a Short Story illuminates the ways in which we interpret fiction, and the short story in particular.