The famous American poet John Shade was murdered in 1959. This text contains his last poem, Pale Fire, together with a foreword by Shade's editor, Charles Kinbote.
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov was a Russian-American novelist and lepidopterist known for his intricate writing style and innovative narrative techniques. His most notable works include "Lolita," a controversial novel that explored taboo themes with lyrical prose, and "Pale Fire," a complex and metafictional masterpiece. Nabokov's writing often featured wordplay, allusions, and unreliable narrators, challenging readers to engage with his work on multiple levels. His contributions to literature include expanding the possibilities of fiction and redefining the boundaries of the novel. Nabokov's impact on the literary genre of modernist and postmodernist literature is profound, influencing writers such as Salman Rushdie and David Foster Wallace. "Lolita" remains his most famous and enduring work, cementing his legacy as one of the great literary innovators of the 20th century.