Pale Fire (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series)

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)The urbane authority that Vladimir Nabokov brought to every word he ever wrote, and the ironic amusement he cultivated in response to being uprooted and politically exiled twice in his life, never found fuller expression than in Pale Fire published in 1962 after the critical and popular success of Lolita had made him an international literary figure.An ingeniously constructed parody of detective fiction and learned commentary, Pale Fire offers a cornucopia of deceptive pleasures, at the center of which is a 999-line poem written by the literary genius John Shade just before his death. Surrounding the poem is a foreword and commentary by the demented scholar Charles Kinbote, who interweaves adoring literary analysis with the fantastical tale of an assassin from the land of Zembla in pursuit of a deposed king. Brilliantly constructed and wildly inventive, this darkly witty novel of suspense, literary one-upmanship, and political intrigue achieves that rarest of things in literature–perfect tragicomic balance.With an Introduction by Richard Rorty

“Transparent Things revolves around four visits of the hero — sullen, gawky Hugh Person — to Switzerland. . . . As a young publisher, Hugh is sent to interview R., falls in love with Armande on the way, wrests her, after multiple humiliations, from a grinning Scandinavian and returns to New York with his bride. . . . Eight years later — following a murder, a period of madness and brief imprisonment — Hugh makes a lone sentimental journey to wheedle out his past. . . . The several strands of dream, memory, and time [are] set off against the literary theorizing of R. and, more centrally, against the world of observable objects.” - Martin Amis

One of the twentieth century’s master prose stylists, Vladimir Nabokov was born in St. Petersburg in 1899. He studied French and Russian literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, then lived in Berlin and Paris, where he launched a brilliant literary career. In 1940 he moved to the United States, and achieved renown as a novelist, poet, critic, and translator. He taught literature at Wellesley, Stanford, Cornell, and Harvard. In 1961 he moved to Montreux, Switzerland, where he died in 1977.

“Nabokov writes prose the only way it should be written, that is, ecstatically.” — John Updike

A novel of dreams, memory, and the past recaptured; murder, madness, imprisonment--and a final sentimental journey.

The darkly comic Transparent Things, one of Nabokov's final books, traces the bleak life of Hugh Person through murder, madness, prison and trips to Switzerland. One of these was the last journey his father ever took; on another, having been sent to ingratiate himself with a distinguished novelist, he met his future wife.'As casual, as unpredictable, as eccentric and as daunting as Mr. Nabokov's genius.'-Mavis Gallant, The New York Times Book Review Nabokov's brilliant short novel sinks into the transparent things of the world that surround this one person, to the silent histories they carry. Remarkable even in Nabokov's work for its depth and lyricism, Transparent Things is a small, experimental marvel of memories and dreams, both sentimental and malign.“The final effect is both chill and comic, the transparencies both beautiful and terrifying.” —The Times (London) An Ingeniously Constructed Parody Of Detective Fiction And Learned Commentary, 'pale Fire' Offers A Cornucopia Of Deceptive Pleasures, At The Center Of Which Is A 999-line Poem Written By The Literary Genius John Shade Just Before His Death. Surrounding The Poem Is A Foreward And Commentary By The Demented Scholar Charles Kinbote, Who Interweaves Adoring Literary Analysis With The Fantastical Tale Of An Assassin From The Land Of Zembla In Pursuit Of A Deposed King. Brilliantly Constructed And Wildly Inventive, This Darkly Witty Novel Of Suspense, Literary One-upmanship, And Political Intrigue Achieves That Rarest Of Things In Literature -- Perfect Tragicomic Balance. Foreword -- Pale Fire, A Poem In Four Cantos -- Commentary -- Index. Vladimir Nabokov. Includes Bibliographical References (p. Xix) And Index. "An ingeniously constructed parody of detective fiction and learned commentary, 'Pale Fire' offers a cornucopia of deceptive pleasures, at the center of which is a 999-line poem written by the literary genius John Shade just before his death. Surrounding the poem is a foreword and commentary by the demented scholar Charles Kinbote, who interweaves adoring literary analysis with the fantastical tale of an assassin from the land of Zembla in pursuit of a deposed king. Brilliantly constructed and wildly inventive, this darkly witty novel of suspense, literary one-upmanship, and political intrigue achieves that rarest of things in literature -- perfect tragicomic balance." 'Transparent Things revolves around the four visits of the hero--sullen, gawky Hugh Person--to Switzerland . . . As a young publisher, Hugh is sent to interview R., falls in love with Armande on the way, wrests her, after multiple humiliations, from a grinning Scandinavian and returns to NY with his bride. . . . Eight years later--following a murder, a period of madness and a brief imprisonment--Hugh makes a lone sentimental journey to wheedle out his past. . . . The several strands of dream, memory, and time [are] set off against the literary theorizing of R. and, more centrally, against the world of observable objects.' --Martin Amis From the Trade Paperback edition " Transparent Things revolves around the four visits of the hero - sullen, gawky Hugh Person - to Switzerland... As a young publisher, Hugh is sent to interview R., falls in love with Armande on the way, wrests her, after multiple humiliations, from a grinning Scandinavian and returns to NY with his bride... Eight years later - following a murder, a period of madness and a brief imprisonment - Hugh makes a lone sentimental journey to wheedle out his past... The several strands of dream, memory, and time [are] set off against the literary theorizing of R. and, more centrally, against the world of observable objects." Martin Amis A novel constructed around the last great poem of a fictional American poet, John Shade, and an account of his death. The poem appears in full and the narrative develops through the lengthy, and increasingly eccentric, notes by his posthumous editor. Vladimir Nabokov's novel about the poet John Shade and the demented Slavic scholar who worships him is an ingeniously constructed parody of detective fiction and learned commentary in which is hidden a tale of madness A 999 line poem in heroic couplets, divided into 4 cantos, was composed--according to Nabokov's fiction--by John Francis Shade, an obsessively methodical man, during the last 20 days of his life.