Literature Help: Pale Fire

By Students' Academy

“Pale Fire” by Vladimir Nabokov was first published in 1962. It is a postmodern novel. In the opening of the novel there is a 999 line poem which is titled “Pale Fire” written by the fictional John Shade.

There is a lengthy forward and long commentary by a neighbour and academic colleague of John Shade. The name of the colleague is Charles Kinbote.

All these elements are combined to form a narrative which has both authors as central characters.

Literature Help: Pale Fire
Copyright
Introduction
Chapter Two: Structure of the Novel
Chapter Three: Plot Summary
Chapter Four: Characters
Chapter Five: Complete Summary
Foreword
Canto One
Canto Two
Canto Three
Canto Four
Kinbote’s Commentary on “Pale Fire”
Chapter Six: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Apr 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310424885

Students' Academy

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Literature Help: Pale Fire

Students' Academy

Copyright

Literature Help: Pale Fire

Students' Academy

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Introduction

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov was first published in 1962. It is a postmodern novel. In the opening of the novel there is a 999 line poem which is titled Pale Fire written by the fictional John Shade.

There is a lengthy forward and long commentary by a neighbour and academic colleague of John Shade. The name of the colleague is Charles Kinbote.

All these elements are combined to form a narrative which has both authors as central characters.

There are several interpretations of Pale Fire. The book received a lot of criticism. It is estimated by Pekka Tammi that in the year 1995 there were more than 80 studies of the book.

According to Brain Boyd, a Nabokov authority, called it the most perfect novel written by Nabokov. Likewise, the critic Harold Bloom said that Pale Fire is the surest demonstration of his own genius…that remarkable tour de force.

The novel was very well received and soon it made to the list of the Modern Library 100 Best Novels. Pale Fire was ranked at number 53 on that list.

Pale Fire was also included in the Larry McCaffery’s 20th Century’s Greatest Hits: 100 English Language Books of Fiction. It was number 1