“Twang,” ends Vladimir Nabokov’s 1941 novel, Bend Sinister, “A good
night for mothing.” From the age of seven, when he caught his first butterfly,
the author was never separated from his butterfly net for long. In entomological
circles he became known as an expert on a large group of butterflies known as
“Blues”. In Nabokov’s Butterflies, his son Dmitri chronicles his life
as a scientist and writer. A meticulous and beautifully produced, if lengthy,
read. Published by Penguin, 拢25, ISBN 0713993804.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
2
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
3
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
4
Europe鈥檚 heatwave is the hottest and most humid ever
5
We鈥檝e uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
6
Ancient human DNA found on cave art for the first time
7
How menopause radically changes the brain 鈥 and what happens after
8
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
9
School phone bans may actually harm some students' mental health
10
I have a 100 per cent chance of getting cancer due to a rare gene



