Pale Fire

Brief Overview

«Pale Fire» is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, consisting of a 999-line poem written by the fictional poet John Shade, and the commentary on it by his self-proclaimed editor, Charles Kinbote. The poem delves into Shade's life, death, and afterlife, while Kinbote's commentary reveals his obsession with the poet and his own fantasies about the fictional kingdom of Zembla. The book explores themes of art, reality, and madness, creating a complex and multilayered narrative structure.