Despair, by Vladimir Nabokov

Though Nabokov proclaims in his foreward (and in general) that writing for the sake of themes is pointless and that he doesn't do it, I would conclude from this only that he is a hypocrite and a liar because there were many themes in Despair. Subconsious though they may be, there are themes. I am confident that Nabokov knows of this, as his IQ is probably mine times seven, and simply does not care. He is a fibber. And so too, is his main character, Hermann.

During the course of the book, the main character, Hermann, finds a man who he thinks looks exactly as he does. The man, Felix, does not believe in this resemblance, and neither does anyone else. Toward the end of the book, you realize that despite Hermann's constant and unwavering obsession with Felix's looks, Felix looks nothing at all like Hermann. This, I think is a theme of false doubles, when you think that some things are parallel, but truly are not.  

Hermann may have seen his spirit reflected in Felix, and deluded himself into thinking he had the coarseness and honesty of a poorer man.  I think, in addition to the false doubles idea, Nabokov has wealth as a minor theme, and how the poor seem to be more honest.    

Hermann, we discover, is not honest.  He always exaggerates to reassure himself.  For instance, I think that he lies about his wife Lydia. He overly and repeatedly assures us in the first chapters of the book of Lydia’s honesty, and of how he is fond of her because she is absolutely devoted to and in love with him.  He goes on and on about how she loves him, but as the book goes on, you begin to be sure that she is having an affair with her cousin.  You can’t be too devoted if you’re cheating with your cousin!

The whole double idea with Felix-- was that a lie, too?  That is what I wonder. Nabokov obviously thinks that all the characters in the book are liars, and I think  that he’s trying to say that all adults are liars too.  That’s kind of depressing.