Sebastian Knight
The subject of the novel: a reknowned novelist, famous for his "research novels," which explore in-depth the life and significance of a given character (needless to say, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is a research novel about a research novelist). Many of his fictional characters play a role in his "biography," as do many of his real-life relationships.
Olga Olegovna Orlova
A woman whose careful diary -- every day she records the day's weather -- allows V. to describe the weather on the day of Sebastian Knight's birth.
Virginia Knight
Sebastian Knight's mother
Edward Knight
Sebastian Knight's maternal grandfather, a gentleman of means.
Palchin
A man who lived with Virginia Knight after she left her husband; he killed Sebastian's father in a duel.
Captain Belov
A friend of Sebastian Knight's father, his second in the duel with Palchin.
Mr. Goodman
For a time Sebastian Knight's personal secretary, he wrote a biography of his life quite soon after his early death.
Mademoiselle
Sebastian and his half-brother's nameless Swiss Governess.
Alexis Pan
A futurist poet who became friends with Sebastian.
Larissa Pann
Wife of Alexis Pan, also a friend of Sebastian's.
Mr. H
A character created by Sebastian but never used in a novel.
D. W. Gorget
An acquaintance of Sebastian's at Cambridge.
Mr. Jefferson
Sebastian's tutor at Cambridge.
Helen Pratt
A friend of Sebastian's.
Clare Bishop
A long-term girlfriend of Sebastian's.
V.
Presumably the first initial of the narrator, Sebastian Knight's half-brother; the only manner in which he is ever addressed.
Mr. Bishop
Clare Bishop's husband's, coincidentally bearing the same last name.
G. Abeson
The main character from Sebastian Knight's first novel, The Prismatic Bezel.
Percival Q.
A character from Sebastian Knight's novel, Success.
Anne
The love interest of the main character in Success.
Willy
Another character in Success.
P.G. Sheldon
A friend of Sebastian and Clare's.
Mr. Siller
The main character in The Back of the Moon.
Dr. Oates
A heart specialist who took care of Sebastian.
Roy Carswell
A man who painted Sebastian Knight's portrait.
Silbermann
A French business man that Sebastian's brother meets on a train and asks for advice.
Helene Grinstein
A woman that stayed in the same hotel as Sebastian in Blauberg.
Natasha Rosanov
A childhood acquaintance of Sebastian Knight.
Pahl Rahlich Rechnoy
The husband of Madame de Rechnoy.
Madame de Rechnoy
A woman who stayed at the same hotel as Sebastian in Blauberg.
Varvara Mitrofanna
Pahl Pahlich's second wife.
Nina Toorovetz
Pahl Pahlich's first wife, who stayed at the same hotel as Sebastian in Blauberg as her marriage ended and disappeared soon after.
Helene von Graun
A woman who stayed at the same hotel as Sebastian in Blauberg.
Madame Lecerf
A friend of Madame von Graun.
Lydia Bohemsky
A woman who stayed at the same hotel as Sebastian in Blauberg.
Dr. Starov
A doctor who treated the narrator's mother and then treated Sebastian.
Doctor Guinet
The presiding doctor at the St. Damier Hospital.
Monsieur Kegan
The man mistaken for Sebastian at the St. Damier Hospital.
