Pale Fire
by Nabokov, Vladimir
- Used
- Fine
- first
- Condition
- Fine/Near Fine
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Item Price
SGD 2,068.05
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About This Item
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1962. First edition. Fine/Near Fine. A Fine copy of the book in very Nearly Fine jacket. Red topstain bright and unfaded, book clean and fresh, appearing unread and unused. Jacket showing very minimal age toning to the spine, one small piece of tape at the verso of the spine. A lovely copy of a difficult book to find in collectible condition.
"On first read, Pale Fire is a book that appears to be a different book entirely. It takes the form of a long biographical poem written by the eminent and recently deceased poet John Shade, followed by several hundred pages of annotations by Shade's friend and fellow professor Charles Kinbote. Very quickly, an astute reader becomes aware of three things: 1) Kinbote is unstable. 2) Kinbote is convinced that Shade's poem 'Pale Fire' is not about Shade at all but about Kinbote's own delusional history as the exiled king of the (possibly fictional) country of Zembla. 3) Kinbote's 'interpretation' of the poem takes over the book and, in effect, becomes the novel. Pale Fire is thus many things: a blistering satire of academia and ivory-tower cluelessness; a breathless tale of escape and adventure over snowy mountain ranges; a mystery novel; a heartbreaking memoir; a closeted lament; a rumination on the afterlife; probably a suicide note; and possibly a ghost story as well" (Burr). A modern classic and an enduring part of Nabokov's legacy. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.
"On first read, Pale Fire is a book that appears to be a different book entirely. It takes the form of a long biographical poem written by the eminent and recently deceased poet John Shade, followed by several hundred pages of annotations by Shade's friend and fellow professor Charles Kinbote. Very quickly, an astute reader becomes aware of three things: 1) Kinbote is unstable. 2) Kinbote is convinced that Shade's poem 'Pale Fire' is not about Shade at all but about Kinbote's own delusional history as the exiled king of the (possibly fictional) country of Zembla. 3) Kinbote's 'interpretation' of the poem takes over the book and, in effect, becomes the novel. Pale Fire is thus many things: a blistering satire of academia and ivory-tower cluelessness; a breathless tale of escape and adventure over snowy mountain ranges; a mystery novel; a heartbreaking memoir; a closeted lament; a rumination on the afterlife; probably a suicide note; and possibly a ghost story as well" (Burr). A modern classic and an enduring part of Nabokov's legacy. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.
Synopsis
Pale Fire (1962) is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is presented as a poem titled "Pale Fire" with commentary by a friend of the poet's. Together these elements form a narrative in which both authors are central characters. Pale Fire has spawned a wide variety of interpretations and a large body of written criticism. The Nabokov authority Brian Boyd has called it "Nabokov's most perfect novel".
Reviews
On Oct 5 2022, a reader said:
I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t the easiest to read. The format of a poem and its commentary revealed the story, rather than being told in a linear narrative. The story jumped around a lot and you really have to be present while reading, otherwise you will get lost. I read from start to finish, however I would reread it and try jumping around a bit to see how it changes the understanding.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5601
- Title
- Pale Fire
- Author
- Nabokov, Vladimir
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1962
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
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Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- G
- Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted. (as defined by AB...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...