Invitation to a Beheading

Interesting Facts

• The novel is written in the genre of absurdist dystopia, exploring themes of existential anxiety and the absurdity of human existence.
• The protagonist, Cincinnatus C., is sentenced to death for «gnostical turpitude», implying his inability to be «transparent» like other people.
• Cincinnatus C. spends his final days in prison, encountering absurd and grotesque characters, including the jailer Rodion and the executioner Monsieur Pierre.
• The novel is rich in symbolism and allusions, including references to the works of Franz Kafka and Fyodor Dostoevsky.
• One of the key themes of the novel is the search for true identity and freedom in a world where individuality is suppressed.
• Nabokov uses complex linguistic games and stylistic devices to emphasize the absurdity and surrealism of the events.
• The novel concludes with Cincinnatus realizing the illusory nature of his world and finding a way to escape it, symbolizing his spiritual liberation.