“Listen: I am ideally happy. My happiness is a kind of challenge. As I wander along the streets and the squares and the paths by the canal, absently sensing the lips of dampness through my worn soles, I carry proudly my ineffable happiness. The centuries will roll by, and schoolboys will yawn over the history of our upheavals; everything will pass, but my happiness , dear, my happiness will remain,in the moist reflection of a street lamp, in the cautious bend of stone steps that descend into the canal's black waters, in the smiles of a dancing couple, in everything with which God so generously surrounds human loneliness.”

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Originally said in English.

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About Vladimir Nabokov

Russian novelist and literary critic of the 20th century, Nabokov is best known for his intricate, linguistically precise fiction, including *Lolita* and *Pale Fire*. His work blends psychological depth with playful, often ironic storytelling, earning him a lasting place in modern literature.

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