--- product_id: 10257769 title: "Laughter in the Dark" brand: "vladimir nabokov" price: "£10.55" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/10257769-laughter-in-the-dark store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Laughter in the Dark **Brand:** vladimir nabokov **Price:** £10.55 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Laughter in the Dark by vladimir nabokov - **How much does it cost?** £10.55 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/10257769-laughter-in-the-dark) ## Best For - vladimir nabokov enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted vladimir nabokov brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great early work from a true master *by R***R on Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2018* This felt like a film noir and one of the more twisted ones at that. Being that it was written in 1938 and involves the film industry there may be some relevance to that comparison. I feel Nabokovs over the top characters are toned down enough so that it is not an absurd style experience like other early works. The over the top in an animated/fantasy would be associated with Invitation to a Beheading and Bend Sinister. This contains down to earth characters that are animated but remain attached to the ground.Margot is immediately a classic Nabokov character. She is not brilliant like Ada, or slightly evil like Lolita but shares the same type of character defect as Lolita in that they both use people as objects and therefore have moral issues.I enjoyed the playfulness of Margot and the way she remained very secretive. Nabokov was brilliantly vague on her character development. He basically leaves her role as commented on by the main character-Albinus--(another classic name similar to Cincinatius from invitation to a beheading), reducing her inner dialogue to feelings about Rex. There are mainly just 3 characters in a sort of melodrama play but there are a few other main characters, mainly Albinu's family.Margot therefore remains mysterious while the 2 other males living wit her are developed in a more in depth manner.I agree with several of the reviews that this is his most accessible book, or rather it is written in a very traditional way without any anagrams or tons of french phrases. I feel the style works perfect here because it gives it the right kind of feel to the structure of the novel.This is the 8th Nabokov book i have read so i feel by this point i can relate it to his other works and safely say this one seems to be the most traditionally written.I do not see this as being any more light in the sense of comedy than any of his others. I actually laughed out loud more reading Bend Sinister. I feel Nabokov is a master of injecting wonderful poetic moments that can unexpectedly be moving enough to draw tears.The part about Albiniu's family echo's Bend Sinister in that it show Nabokov to be a family man at heart and believe in the family unit. I feel; Bend Sinister was about the change that happens internal to a family when your socioeconomic environment changes rapidly or in a chaotic way. A theme similar to that deals with Albiniu's family and the dramatic elements remind me of William Thackery's style.I feel this is just as dark as most of his works but has a big heart as well. The first time i noticed Nabokov was actually a very compassionate artist was when reading King Queen Knave. Just the scenes where the main characters pass time together reminds me of nemonic ways to bring up cherished memories of my past life. Nobokov is an important artist. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deception *by M***K on Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2018* Laughter in the dark feels like a Nabokov novel. His trademarks are there, poisonous relationships, Old men doing dirty things, road tripping, a thematic overlay of memory.But it still lacks those quintisential Nobokovicals that set him apart. His dazzling wordplay and refined literary technique, a smooth overlay of irony and his reeling plots that leave me somewhere between delighted and confused.Nabokov is like whiskey, the best stuff is great. The cheap stuff will get the job done anyway. I really enjoyed this novel despite those critics. Nabokov is still the funniest guy in literature, and every page turned is a new joke to learn. The center gets heavy, one character gets a new direction while the other loses a direction. Its the emotional backbone of the novel and very well done.Would reccomend to those interested in learning who Nabokov is when noone is looking. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A brilliantly wicked piece set in the movie world of Berlin during the early 1930s *by C***H on Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2013* "Once upon a time there lived in Berlin, Germany, a man called Albinus. He was rich, respectable, happy; one day he abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress; he loved; was not loved; and his life ended in disaster. This is the whole of the story and we might have left it at that had there not been profit and pleasure in the telling; and although there is plenty of space on a gravestone to contain, bound in moss, the abridged version of a man's life, detail is always welcome."So begins Laughter in the Dark, Vladimir Nabokov's sixth novel published in Berlin in 1933. The brilliance of it is that Nabokov tells you what is going to happen in such a way that he still makes you want to read about it. The only other person who carried off the same trick with similar panache is Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his Chronicle of a History Foretold.Laughter in the Dark is a brilliantly wicked piece set in the movie world of Berlin during the early 1930s. I won't reveal the plot, but suffice it to say that if you've enjoyed Lolita, you should enjoy this novel, which has some interesting parallels. Five stars. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/10257769-laughter-in-the-dark](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/10257769-laughter-in-the-dark) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*