Vladimir Nabokov

<p>Born in Russia, Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) had a penchant for writing about the tragic and the taboo in his books, especially the still-controversial <i>Lolita</i>. In 1919, his family left Russia for Western Europe, and eventually settled in the United States. Although his first works were written in Russian, he became famous for his novels like <i>Pale Fire</i> that he wrote in English. Nabokov's erudite, inventive approach to writing — buttressed by his formidable academic and cultural intellect — made him a literary legend.</p>