Book :: Pale Fire

Pale Fire
By: Vladimir Nabokov
Pages: 272
Published: 1962
Genre(s): Poetry
Literature
Russia
Rating: (6)

#101

185 points

I've Read It I Want To Read It

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In Pale Fire Nabokov offers a cornucopia of deceptive pleasures: a 999-line poem by the reclusive genius John Shade; an adoring foreword and commentary by Shade's self-styled Boswell, Dr. Charles Kinbote; a darkly comic novel of suspense, literary idolatry and one-upmanship, and political intrigue.

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Reviews

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forline forline

Difficult to read. Love that this presaged hypertext!!! There were parts that were funny and I got the 3 in 1 personas.

Sep 10th, 2017

Caro60 Caro60

How to describe Pale Fire - idiosyncratic is my first thought. The character of Kinbote is memorable for his deluded self-perceptions which is sharply contrasted with the poem creation of John Shade. The style of this novel is so very different to anything else that I have read - the poem and then the commentary on the poem which is so off the mark that it makes you go back and re-read and reappreciate the original Pale Fire. I loved it.

Jun 15th, 2015

bryanoz bryanoz

Jun 4th, 2015

entropicisland entropicisland

Apr 23rd, 2015

notathreatinsight notathreatinsight

A strange, interesting read, parts of which are hilarious.

Dec 30th, 2014

jwk jwk

Dec 12th, 2014

Pale Fire appears on these lists...

1st on The 20th Centrury's Greatest Hits by American Book Review

53rd on 100 Best Novels by Modern Library

64th on Top 100 Books by Harvard Book Store