The Nabokov code

Abstract

The article is devoted to the generalisation of the accumulated knowledge about the decoding of Nabokov’s texts. The obtained clues were integrated and then utilised to interpret the story "Catastrophe" ("Details of a Sunset"). The research was based on the methods of immanent linguistic text analysis which were employed in conjunction with comparative analysis. The study identified numerous multilevel intratextual and intertextual repetitions. The symbols important for understanding the author’s intention were analysed. The interpretation of the text as a story about overcoming traumatic memories of Russia is substantiated.