Vladimir

A Novel

By: Julia May Jonas

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

An NPR, Washington Post, Time, People, Vulture, Guardian, Vox, Kirkus Reviews, Newsweek, LitHub, and New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * “Delightful…cathartic, devious, and terrifically entertaining.” —The New York Times * “Timely, whip-smart, and darkly funny.” —People (Book of the Week) * One of Shondaland’s 13 Best College-Set Novels of All Time

A provocative, razor-sharp, and timely debut novel about a beloved English professor facing a slew of accusations against her professor husband by former students—a situation that becomes more complicated when she herself develops an obsession of her own...

“When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me.” And so we are introduced to our narrator who’s “a work of art in herself” (The Washington Post): a popular English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students. The couple have long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extra-marital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both. And when our narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir—a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus—their tinder box world comes dangerously close to exploding.

“Timely, whip-smart, and darkly funny” (People), Vladimir takes us into charged territory, where the boundaries of morality bump up against the impulses of the human heart. This edgy, uncommonly assured debut perfectly captures the personal and political minefield of our current moment, exposing the nuances and the grey area between power and desire.

Nabakov 2.0

This is a fabulously written book, a tribute to and a reimagining of Nabokov’s writing style and craft. It is also a bite my reading on the unacknowledged complexities that lurk around the strident neo-liberal politics of our times. Read it in one shot!

Great storytelling

I will say…I love this book but the main character’s fixation on Vladimir doesn’t seem like enough to be the title of this book. So much of the scandal and John took up space in the book, which was great, but I was a bit surprised until eventually later on in the story we get more Vlad

Started with promise, ended in disappointment

The story begins with a few interesting investigations around the spouse’s responsibilities for their partner’s transgressions, for the power paradigm in an inappropriate relationship, and for the societal confrontation with the institution of marriage— the depth and story fall off a cliff though at some when the professor lures Vladimir for an outing- and unfortunately never recovers. Good start, hollow finish.
The reader for this recording was quite good and I enjoyed her cadence and expression.

Worth the read

I struggled to finish this book, but I found it to be worth it in the end. I lost interest at times- the plot felt slow and too detailed. The narration felt arrogant. But, there ended up being some really poignant moments that spoke to the shared human experience. And by the end the author wrapped up the story with a pretty little bow.

Contemporary Gothic Novel

The plot twists--a kidnapping, drugs in drinks, and a raging house fire are shocking and " over the top" as is the narrator's dramatic sensual reading. An interesting commentary on academe, but you can't really "like" the characters.

Good story & presentation, in need of a better editor.

How many times is the use of the world truly necessary? Magpies don’t reside in NY State.

Unnamed Narrator

This novel is about so much more than Vladimir. It is, first and foremost, the unnamed narrator's story. Without revealing the plot, I will tell you that this book is intense, unsettling, complicated, thought-provoking, literate, and insightful; if you are or know and care about a "woman of a certain age," this book is for you. I found the narrator's thoughts/feelings about being a woman who has come of age in modern-day America stunningly identifiable. I understand that Vladimir is being called a #MeToo novel, but I assure you that it is much, much more.

Don’t judge this book from its cover.

I can’t imagine how many readers were turned off by the cover of this book. It is not a romance novel! I appreciated the self-awareness of the protagonist as many of her insights rang true to me. The plot remained taut but goes off the rails 3/4 of the way through. It was just unbelievable that these characters could behave in the ways written. The end was so matter of fact and anti-climactic. I don’t think it was totally bad, just not good enough.

Interesting

More involved and twisting than I anticipated. I liked the perspective of the female protagonist

Hurry up and publish another, Ms. Jonas!

Don't let the unfortunate cover trick you into thinking this is some smarmy romance novel or a Fifty Shades of Grey knockoff. If you like character-driven stories and sharp-edged social commentary, put this in your queue.

I'm not going to reveal a thing about the storyline, except to say that it was refreshingly unpredictable, but not in that contorted way some novelists resort to when they write themselves into corners.

Spot-on narration by Rebecca Lowman.

I'll be looking for more from this author. And this narrator.