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With his erudite-sounding English accent, Justin Avoth ably narrates Nabokov's memoir of his early years in pre-Revolutionary Russia and his life as an emigré, ending with a chapter about his time as a translator for the U.S. Army in Berlin immediately after the end of WWII. A composer himself, Nabokov (first cousin of writer Vladimir Nabokov) offers many vignettes of famous Russian composers, such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky, and gives insight into the ballet scenes of Diaghilev and Nijinsky. He also exhibits an almost insufferable snobbishness and condescension. Avoth's performance is characterized by clear enunciation, as well as perfect pacing and expression. The final chapter of this work appears to have been published separately as an article in THE ATLANTIC in 1951. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2025]