Vladimir Nabokov and the Ideological Aesthetic argues that ideology is a prism through which the work of Vladimir Nabokov needs to be considered. It is thus the first unambiguous attempt to foreground questions of ideology and politics within a field that has historically been resistant to such readings. The perception of Nabokov as an apolitical writer is one which the author encouraged throughout the latter part of his career in his non-fictional writings and in the small number of well-rehearsed interviews that he gave. When we consider that Nabokov lived through some of the most traumatic historical ruptures of the past century then this lack of reference to ideology in the critical literature appears quite revealing. Through the analysis of works which have previously received little attention as well as new perspectives on better-known works, this book demonstrates how ideology and politics were ever-present and had an indelible effect on Nabokov’s literary aesthetics.