SOURCE: “The Sublime and the Ridiculous: Nabokov's Black Farces,” in Vladimir Nabokov, His Life, His Work, His World: A Tribute, edited by Peter Quennell, 1979. Reprint by William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1980, pp. 73-87.

In the following essay, Amis argues that the three “black farces,” King, Queen, Knave; Laughter in the Dark; and Despair are precursors to Lolita.

There are several ways in which Nabokov's art still needs to be celebrated. His reputation is considerable, but it is the wrong kind of reputation; his admirers are many, but they are the wrong kind of admirers. Two years after his death Nabokov is still best known as the embodiment of his idiosyncrasies—the haughty schematist, the trilingual punster, the arty hybrid. Now, perhaps, is the time to point out, in naïve admiration, that Nabokov spins a jolly good yarn, with believable characters, a strong story-line, and vivid, humorous prose...