Vladimir Nabokov (1971), in
response to a question about
the critical response to Ada:

the main favor I ask of the
serious critic is sufficient
perceptiveness to understand
that whatever term or trope I
use, my purpose is not to be
facetiously flashy or grotesquely
obscure but to express what
I feel and think with the utmost
truthfulness and perception.
(SO 179)

Original Penguin (1970) cover
forAda modified from Nabokov’s
design suggestion, which included
his drawing of a Cattleya orchid.

Nabokov’s copy of the design
he sent to Penguin: three orchids,
Ophrys ferrum-equinum [Van?: see
101.16-17], Oncidium [now
Trichocentrum] luridum [Lucette?:
see 419.27-28 and 464.02] and
Cattleya labiata[the Crimson
Cattleya, the Ruby-Lipped
Cattleya; Ada: see 56.07]. VN’s
caption below reads: “The general
idea for Ada’s Penguin cover
which I sent them in 1969. VN”

The first edition, the American
hardback (McGraw-Hill, 1969),
in the standard lettering for the
McGraw-Hill Nabokov titles.

The first UK edition (Weidenfeld
and Nicolson, 1969), which was
the first to use the novel’s built-in
blurb on the front and rear
end-flaps.

The first US paperback (Fawcett,
1970), in the style of its time
rather than the novel’s.

The first French edition (Fayard,
1975), with and without the
advertising band. Nabokov spent
months correcting the translation
by Gilles Chahine and
Jean-Bernard Blandenier. This
edition, like the first UK edition,
uses the novel's built-in blurb
for its inside cover flaps.

The first German edition (Rowohlt,
1974), which Vladimir and Véra
Nabokov checked over a number
of days with the publisher and
translators.



Cover of Vintage Edition (1990),
on which AdaOnline is based

Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
Vladimir Nabokov

Introduction to AdaOnline

Part 1, Chapter 1, pp 03-09 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 2, pp 10-16 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 3, pp 17-30 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 4, pp 31-33 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 5, pp 34-40 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 6, pp 41-46 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 7, pp 47-49 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 8, pp 50-57 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 9, pp 58-60 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 10, pp 61-66 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 11, pp 67-69 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 12, pp 70-76 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 13, pp 77-88 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 14, pp 89-93 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 15, pp 94-96 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 16, pp 97-101 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 17, pp 102-108 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 18, pp 109-113 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 19, pp 114-122 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 20, pp 123-129 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 21, pp 130-137 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 22, pp 138-141 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 23, pp 142-146 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 24, pp 147-155 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 25, pp 156-159 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 26, pp 160-162 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 27, pp 163-170 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 28, pp 171-177 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 29, pp 178-180 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 30, pp 181-186 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 31, pp 187-196 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 32, pp 197-206 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 33, pp 207-210 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 34, pp 211-214 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 35, pp 215-221 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 36, pp 222-229 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 37, pp 230-235 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 38, pp 236-265 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 39, pp 266-282 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 40, pp 283-290 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 41, pp 291-300 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 42, pp 301-321 annotated
Part 1, Chapter 43, pp 322-325 annotated

Part 2, Chapter 1, pp 329-337 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 2, pp 338-346 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 3, pp 347-358 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 4, pp 359-364 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 5, pp. 365-387 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 6, pp. 388-395 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 7, pp. 396-409 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 8, pp. 410-423 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 9, pp. 424-431 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 10, pp. 432-438 annotated
Part 2, Chapter 11, pp. 439-446 annotated