Pnin
Pnin is a charming and deeply-felt novel, and has been considered Nabokov's most appealing book. Essentially a series of fondly-observed anecdotes, by turns touching and amusing, Nabokov called upon his faculty experiences to recount the tale of eccentric, decent, somewhat bewildered Russian émigré Professor Timofey Pnin. Pnin's misadventures are comical, yet he somehow survives with his dignity intact, and thus his story resonates with universal appeal. Pnin may serve as the best introduction to Nabokov's works for the uninitiated. Pnin is the only novel for which Nabokov included the disclaimer, "All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental." Interest in Pnin's fate seems to rate him a cameo reference in Pale Fire, as chairman of Wordsmith University's Russian Department.
"The real virtue of this book is in its sweetness."
"It is hilariously funny and of a sadness . . ." Scholarly Criticism of Pnin Barabtarlo, Gennady. "A Resolved Discord (Pnin)"A Bibliography of Critical Works on Pnin
MARY | KING, QUEEN, KNAVE | THE DEFENSE
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