Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- I was expecting either D: or :S and got :O instead.
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Also buy Harold Bloom's Anxiety of Influence:
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In my opinion, the best way to read the 'novel', as follows:
1) Read the Foreword.
2) Read 'Canto I' - Then jump to 'Commentary' Pgs. 61-120
3) Read 'Canto II' - Then jump to ''Commentary' Pgs. 120-176
4) Read 'Canto III - Then jump to ''Commentary' Pgs. 176-206
5) Read 'Canto IV' - Then jump to ''Commentary' Pgs. 206-236
6) Read the Index.
I find this way not only dispurses the beautiful poetry, and the admitably drier commentary, to make for a more enjoyable read-but also to aid in the understanding of both the poem and the commentary apropos the convoluted plot.
I'm so happy you've come around on Nabokov. He's a writer you can get obsessed with, for sure. And Pynchon was definitely influenced by Nabokov. There's a story where Vera, Vladimir's wife, remembered grading Thomas Pynchon's papers and that he had "unusual" handwriting that included both cursive and print.
You left your gun on the floor by the mat.
I love how your reviews are spoiler free, there aren't many good reviews like that. It gets me motivated to read a book without ruining the plot. I'm going to give this one a shot now.
I've been a fan of postmodern literature and although I have known Nabokov to be one of the greats, I have not read his work yet. After seeing a copy of Pale Fire in the new Blade Runner I felt compelled to check it out. We'll see if I make it to the end!
it's ok to review old stuff :) Nabokov is such a great stylist. Laughter in the Dark is my favorite of his, very funny...very dark...
Seems legit ^^
Came here because of Blade Runner 2049
clovis2012 me too! The fitness test inspired me to google and find Pale Fire. Then I bought the book. Great book, great film
@@ellencatalina And great Author :)
@@ellencatalina That was called the Baseline Test. But I know what you mean.
Of the many great jokes in this book, my favorite is where the title "Pale Fire" actually comes from. To trace the joke out, (1) check out the first paragraph of the commentary of Canto 4 line 962; (2) then check out an early commentary, Canto 1 lines 39-40; and finally (3) pull out your Shakespeare and check out the *actual* passage from Act IV of Timon of Athens. Now that's a joke!
Regarding other Nabokov: I think you said you read Lolita in an unfocused way; that may have affected your reading. When you're in the groove, it's not just clever, it's ecstatic and heartbreaking. Pnin is also great, but apparently the most monstrous masterpiece is Ada. That one I'm a little afraid of.
Ada is more difficult on a surface level, and has perhaps his most compelling characters, but Pale Fire's sheer depth and originality makes it unmatched in his catalog imo (and I've read all his novels).
10 and 12 The prose is way better in Ada than in Pale fire
i am so glad you enjoyed Pale Fire so thoroughly! it's easily one of my favourite novels ever, maybe my absolute favourite
"...you can swim inside this eternal uncertainty forever..." - wonderful! I love uncertainty in a novel! Into the TBR it goes :)
Also, Lolita definitely deserves another chance.
Stumble across this video, felt so surprised! I have recently finished Pale Fire, it became my favorite book I read in 2017 so far! A perfect combination of metafiction and unreliable narrator, a structure as complex as labyrinth, so fascinating and gripping. Love this review, too!
I wasn't expecting it to be at all but it's definitely among my favorite books read in 2017 too!
Thanks for sharing - this book was certainly an experience! Appreciate this review!!
It's not weird to review Pale Fire in 2017, I remember loving the experience while reading it last year. I love the structure and the digs he has at criticism.
This is one of the best book reviews I've seen on UA-cam. Just finished this book and loved it.
:D
One of your best reviews! I can't wait until I'm in college and have my own income so that I may sponsor you on Patreon.
I love Nabokov' use of funny footnotes. The whole book is a giant send up of academic culture.
As I read Pale Fire I can’t help but think of that Narrator of Wes Anderson films…I wonder if Wes is a Nabokov fan?
Isn’t that nabokovs style? Not an experiment but the way he expresses himself, just the way he puts sentences together and it’s why I love Lolita .
Laughter in the Dark is my favorite Nabokov book!
So glad you found a book by Nabokov you like!!!
I agree with the others who recommend you to give Lolita a second chance.
The Gift is also absolutely amazing.
Nice, I've been waiting for this one
I did a straight reading of the book and what I have to say is that I actually liked Shade's poem per se and as for Kinbote's forward and commentary though I found the idea hilarious crazy (and the structure very interesting) I couldn't help feeling the story too extended and uninteresting and predictive to sustain almost two thirds of the book. I actually found it irritating at times.
From Nabokov I've read Lolita and Laughter in the Dark, the latter being the one that I connected most with. Lolita I also found a little irritating too...
Thank you, lot of fun, very helpful
Loved Lolita must try this! Thank you!
Pnin is a great novel. It was the first novel I read by Nabokov and might be a better introduction to his work than Lolita. The titular character is basically the opposite of Humbert Humbert: an ingratiating old Russian professor whom Nabokov characterizes beautifully. You should definitely read it.
His masterpiece is the poem in the maze;
Read the work well; see how he does amaze,
Puzzle, enlighten, please, in every line,
And see clearly how his craft is so fine.
One of my favourite books! Knew you'd love it :D
I've read a fair amount of Nabokov and he is just always surprising and always a joy. Of the books I would consider "good introductions", Pnin, The Real Life Of Sebastian Knight and Laughter in the Dark are brilliant character studies, Invitation to a Beheading is a piece of fantastic dystopian invention and The Luzhin Defence is very good too. Of the "heavier" books, The Gift was good but a little much for me, and I think in some ways his masterpiece is Ada Or Ardor, but it's not the easiest book to read and could easily put people off if they aren't already riders on the VN train.
Thanks for the comment man, great stuff! I think Pnin and Invitation (this last one I'd never heard about) will be my next stops ;)
Alan, I tried some of Nabokov's Russian output, but for me, they don't "fly". Somehow, through a sort of alchemy acquired by writing in a language in which you come to possibilities afresh, his great American novels : Lolita, Pale Fire and Ada Or Ardor are full of the most delicious prose.
I assume you've read them in translation, which is a shame, because his russian prose is just as, if not even more, beautiful than his english works. It's very lyrical and achieves qualities of a poem in a prose paragraph
Definitely give Lolita another try. It's really just love story with great prose. It was so emotional for me I can't even watch the films. Great channel keep it up
I have read Lolita twice. I think you should give it another try 😊
Beautiful.
Just read an interesting essay that reminded me of this video. My understanding was that the essay was basically trying to contrast Roland Barthes reader-centric view of literature vs. (what the essayist argued was) Nabokov's author-centric view of literature. "How can you write, believing in Barthes?" she asked. "Well, how can you read believing in Nabokov", I suppose, is the implied response.
...and I STILL haven't gotten around to reading _Pnin_ yet. Have you? Did you have any thoughts to share on that one?
What essay was that :)? As of Pnin, no - and I don't see it happening soon to be honest :P
Zadie Smith's "Rereading Barthes and Nabokov". I read it as part of her "Changing my Mind" collection, but it may have been reprinted from somewhere else for all I know.
I read _Pnin_. It was funny. Nabokov is as irreverent as ever, even including his own pen name among a list of emigre Russian intellectuals. As with _Pale Fire_, the structure of _Pnin_ seems significant, although I admit that the actual relevance is a little beyond me. (Still currently looking into it.)
Overall it seemed kind of like "Mr. Bean becomes an American college professor", and at least to this unenlightened reader, that was not a bad thing.
I recommend "The Vane Sisters" by Nabokov. It's short and it has a code in it.
do you have any merch? i would love to have a Book Chemist tee shirt!
Lol that's a weird thought :D no, but thanks for your support man - your comments always make my day!
I read this book last year and i have mixed feelings about it. Surely it's quite innovative in terms of the structure and funny in parts. But i felt that it was quite boring in some parts and i always thought that it's been done so intentionally, to show the main character's shortcomings as a writer( do u agree with this?). After watching this review i feel i may have appreciated the novel more if i was more in touch with the world of literary criticism.
I do agree that some passages which might feel a bit tedious may be there to give the idea the narrator is very much a bore (and has delusions of grandeur too); but I felt those ones too were beautifully written in their awkwardness - and also, they never dragged on for *too* long. Had this book been much longer, the quirikiness of it all would have easily worn out.
Kinbote is a far better writer than John Shade.
I certainly recommend Pnin. Just read it before starting Pale Fire. Pnin is likewise humorous.
Try "Despair". P nin is OK but Lolita and Pale FIre are his best novels.The Gift is great ... you can't miss with Nabokov.
Great review and I agree for the most part about here (outside of the disdain for Lolita, which I would reccomend looking through again at least as a matter of sympathy. Although to a certain degree your frustration with Nabokov's incessant need to formulate his literature into puzzles and mockery is well founded, and can be a bit frustrating for the experienced reader. Particularly when you realize much of even his earliest fiction has similar structural molds to Lolita & Pale Fire).
Moving on, I would reccomend with the utmost possible urgency his memoir: Speak, Memory when you have time for it. I've read a great number of memoirs over the last few years and Nabokov's is a work of nostalgia like nothing other. Yet to find anything that is even in the same universe in this category
Wow, thanks - I admit I'd never heard about it! I'll put it on my list ;)
can i send you my novel when its done ?
I'd love to read it but I really don't have time these days - I appreciate the thought very much though!
Nabokov is great! Every time I read Lolita is a different book.
Nearly 9/10's of what you praise about "Pale Fire" could also be said of "Lolita". I actually watched your video a second time imagining that you were talking about "Lolita", and most of it made sense. BTW -- "Pnin" is well worth reading. I hope you've had time to read it by now.
To truly "enjoy" Lolita you have to admit to understanding his sick fascination. I am glad you didn't admit to it! Did you know there were some quotes from Pale Fire in the new Blade Runner movie?
I've heard about it - can't wait to see it!
Imagine being able to play tennis with both hands at a world class level .……sums up Nabokov’s writing career.
Really late but I decided to pick up the book last year and finished it yesterday. I would say that I personally found the poem per se to be very unimpressive, like the type of poetry stuffy professors in liberal arts colleges would typically write. On the other hand, I found the writing of Kinbote to be positively genius, much more so than Shade, but anyways its a really good book.
Has this great guy reviewed yet THE LOST SCRAPBOOK
I had read Pale Fire a couple of times or more, then when I got my first Kindle I decided to download Pale Fire. The worst choice. Structure doesn't work on Kindle!
The second syllable of his name is stressed. He always corrected people. "NabOkof"
Did Nabokov ever write on why he disliked Freud so much? I have heard over, and over again about his hatred for Freud, but I wonder if he ever vented "on the paper". If he ever wrote down the reasons why Freud seemed beyond inadequate to inaugurate a field of scientific inquiry. If someone out there knows let me know.
I have no idea! I know another writer, Italian Italo Svevo, was skeptical of psychoanalysis because he considered it a narrative device (a "making up of stories") rather than a genuine, empirically sound scientific discipline. I wonder if there's a distrust, from some storytellers, of doctors appropriating the tools of their trade? :)
@@TheBookchemist I really do not know. I know a lot of people that criticize it are usually characterized more by the intensity of their anger rather than a careful examination of the practice. Yeah, I can see it being the case that analysts might uncover things about dream logic (storytelling) that writers would like kept secret, etc. Thanks for taking the time to answer. I very much appreciate the video-essays. Keep up the good work.
I'm glad Blade Runner 2049 introduced new readers to this book.
The poem seems like a deep meditation on mysticism and death. On its own it’s pretty unsettling. As for the rest of the commentary I have a hard time deciphering it.
September is the month. It really really really needs to end.
Nab ó kov like Jeh ó vah :)
I agree with C S. Ada or Ardor is the best love story I've ever read. The first half of the book is perfect.
Really liked your review of Pale Fire, by the way. Great job, as always!
His best novel in my opinion is Ada or Ardor, its well worth the time.
Really? I found it VERY difficult to read. Much less readable than Lolita
I only found the first couple chapters difficult but the rest flowed similar to lolita, also being more readable IMO doesn't make a book better or worse
@@mariadelmardospasos Of all Nabakov's novel I found "Ada" really tested my patience. Unfortunately it's his longest novel and I gave up somewhere in the middle. Not even Proust could induce me to give up on a novel.
@@marichristian1072 Exactly! In "Ada", I didn't find the beauty of the language that Lolita has so I just gave up!
I read Pale Fire, but found it unreadable.
I am actually in favor of the obtuse narator of Pale Fire.