A permanent exile from his home in Russia, Vladimir Nabokov constructed a radiant and vital world of imagination. That world is idiosyncratic, original and intrinsically engaging, full of weird excitements and tender attention to inconspicuous things. While Nabokov is known for his bestselling novel Lolita, this talk looks instead at his philosophy of time, belief in the transparency of objects and obsession with butterflies. For Nabokov the world shimmers and vibrates with lively capacities. Art is for life’s sake; it ought to enliven us.