pale fire
first edition, third impression, 1962.
a brilliant poet. a mysterious death. a highly unreliable editor.
when renowned poet john shade dies suddenly, his final work—a 999-line poem titled "pale fire"—is published, accompanied by a foreword and extensive commentary written by his eccentric neighbor, charles kinbote. kinbote, an enigmatic and unreliable scholar, claims to be the exiled king of zembla and uses the notes to weave a strange narrative of royal intrigue, personal delusion, and obsessive obsession with shade’s life and work.
frequently referenced as an important example of metafiction and early precursor to hypertext, "pale fire" has received varied interpretations and criticism.
new york: g.p. putnam's sons. 315 pages. 6x9". hardcover. bound in cloth-covered boards. book condition: bumping to head of spine. near fine. jacket condition: closed-tear to back panel, mild shelfwear to head and foot of spine, sticker-residue, unclipped($5.00). very good++. Item #1152
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