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Pale Fire Study Guide

by Vladimir Nabokov

Pale Fire study guide contains a biography of Vladimir Nabokov, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Pale Fire has two story-lines. One story takes place in New Wye, a small New England town, and the other takes place in a foreign land called Zembla. John Shade is a poet and professor who lives in New Wye. Shade is regarded as a success within literary circles. Shade's final work is a poem called "Pale Fire." It is divided into four cantos, and Shade dies before he writes the final line (Line 1000) of the poem.

The novel, Pale Fire, includes a foreword, the text of Shade's poem, extensive commentary, and a table of contents. Charles Kinbote is the author of the foreword and commentary. Kinbote tells us that he is a literature professor. He was also Shade's next door neighbor. Kinbote comes from a country called Zembla, and he is rather…

Read the full Pale Fire Summary

• Pale Fire Summary
• About Pale Fire
• Character List
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of Foreword to Canto 2
• Summary and Analysis of Cantos 3-4
• Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 1-2
• Summary and Analysis of Commentary on Cantos 3-4
• Related Links on Pale Fire
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• Pale Fire: Major Themes
• Pale Fire: Essays
• Pale Fire: Questions
• Pale Fire: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Vladimir Nabokov: Biography