Biography of Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-American Novelist

https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-vladimir-nabokov-4 [login to see] Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-American novelist and lepidopterist (he discovered a new species of butterfly which was named for him), died at the age of 78. His book "Speak Memory" is one of the best memoirs I have read. An excerpt from the article:

"Vladimir Nabokov (April 22, 1899—July 2, 1977) was a prolific, trilingual Russian-American novelist, poet, professor, translator and entomologist. His name is nearly synonymous with the novel Lolita (1955), which centers on the shocking conceit of a middle-aged man’s obsession with a young girl. It became a record-breaking best-seller and brought him international fame. Paired with his critically acclaimed Pale Fire (1962), Nabokov is consistently regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, known for his maximalist, poetic style and intricately structured plots."