From the Lists: Pale Fire #53

Pale Fire (1962) by Vladimir Nabokov is possibly the most inventive novel I have ever read. It can be read linearly, literally, and / or satirically. It was not greeted with universal acclaim upon its publication since critics were a bit unsure how to characterize it; however, the novel's reputation has grown in stature over the years. 

On the surface, this novel consists of a foreward by a fictional editor (Charles Kinbote), a 999 line biographical poem by a fictional poet (John Shade), and Kinbote's extensive commentary. The poem itself is pretty straightforward. It does not require more explication than could be provided in minor footnotes. And yet, it is Kinbote's commentary and asides that provide the actual narrative.

Suffice it to say, that if a European, homosexual, exiled royal from an imaginary country absconds with your poem with the intention of editing and publishing it along with his commentary, the original intent of the work may be lost when filtered through the delusions of the editor. I think that Kinbote's character sincerely believes that the poem was originally inspired by the grand tales he related to its author - tales of a land in which palaces are stocked with handsome boys to be used for the king's pleasure, of a palace rivaling the pleasure domes of Kubla Kahn, of a revolution in which the king escaped execution, arriving in cognito in the United States disguised as an English professor. Even though the poem obviously is biographical and has nothing to do with the tall tales shared with Shade, Kinbote's commentary lifts lines and extracts words from the poem's text in a valiant effort to prove he, and his life, was its inspiration. Along the way, his commentary is filled with adventures and quite a bit of university and neighborhood gossip. In many ways he is the Humbert Humbert of literary academia - a man with great self-regard, but with no idea of how he is regarded among his peers.

Herein lies the greatness of this work as a whole. It can be read as editorial satire, or as the rantings and ravings of a disturbed man in academia. Either way, I had great fun reading the poem through the eyes of a truly odd character. And to top this all off, Nabokov was very clever with the ending. He provides enough facts and hints to allow the reader to come to several different conclusions about the strange life of Charles Kinbote. 

Recommendation: This was a fun read requiring two bookmarks as you will want to re-read the lines of the poem being discussed in the commentary. This book was a winner! I think I am going to add more Nabokov to my reading list once I get through the 100 best novels.

Vladimir Nabokov