3.5 / 5.0

Found Lolita Disgusting.

Enjoyed Pale Fire.

Pnin was confusing. Lolita Screenplay was better than book. Not as much introverted ruminating.

The one with Bend Sinister is better I think, but this has the more well known ones.

I was the shadow of the waxwing slain
By the false azure in the windowpane;
I was the smudge of ashen fluff - and I
Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky.

The finest master of the art of the English language at the height of his magic powers. Enough said.

Three of the master's best.

I finished Lolita, started Pnin, but didn't even begin Pale Fire. Sometimes I wonder what makes "classics" become "classics". I do find it remarkable though that anyone can become an author in a language not their native tongue.

The author that can make anyone dream.

The best write of the 20th century's three best books together!

Linguistically speaking, it is an extremely well written ***** book. Content-wise, it is a disgusting and pervert book which deserves a lone *

Read Pale Fire and Lolita a while back. Loved both. Started Pnin a few days ago and am already half way through. Its great so far.

I have set up a Tumblr blog, where I, Charles Kinbote, will be posting each couplet of John Shade’s Pale Fire. If you are interested, you can find it here

To me, Lolita is a fine example of how a disgusting and immoral subject matter can be turned into a thing of beauty through the use of perfect diction.

This review only covers Pale Fire. Pale Fire is a “5” reading, which means it is worth a reread whereas a “4” is not. I would also say that the Library of America books are some of finest editions made today. Good hardback bookbinding, great thick paper (it does not seem like cheap recycled stuff), crisp type that holds its ink, easy to hold (you wouldn’t think so for a 900 page volume, but it is), and good price (the three paperbacks of these novels along with the screenplay would cost you more).

Pale Fire is a masquerade of a exegesis of a poem by the same name by the poet John Shade. The scholar Dr. Charles Kinbote supposedly analyses the poem line by line, but the reader will soon discover that very little analysis occurs, and the novel is actually an autobiography by Kinbote. Kinbote is a pompous and egotistical college professor who, besides telling us how superior he is, relates a second story about the escape of Charles II, the last king of the country Zembla, from revolution in his country and possible assassination. Before long, we see that Kinbote is writing about himself and he is the supposed king from this mythical country. The plot thickens as the assassin Gradus is hot on Kinbote’s trail (supposedly).

Besides the satire on the literary academic community and the books they write, Nabokov delights in uncertainty (it seems at times that Heisenberg influenced writers as much as he did modern physics), for we do not know much for certain since the entire narrative is encased within Kinbote’s narration. Is he the last king of Zembla? Is he the writer of the poem and Shade simply an alter-ego? Are the other characters real or figments of his imagination? We do not know, but the character of Kinbote is a marvelous creation. If he is mad, he is the sanest insane character I have ever known. He is also one of the most intelligent and erudite narrators I've seen.

The style is incredibly good and Nabokov’s puns and allusions are fun. And the novel is more fun than sad.

And the poem is quite good, but don’t take anything too seriously, for it seems that Nabokov is just having great time. If you do not take it too seriously, you will too.