Timofey Pnin

Student: Nicolas Berkopec
Book: Pnin
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Published: 1953
Genre: Fiction Biography/TragComedy

The book Pnin is the tragic but comical story of Timofey Pnins life since coming to America and beginning his teaching career at Waindell University.

This book is a slice of Timofey Pnins life narrated by Vladimir Nabokov himself. Unlike most books Pnin is not inspiring, amazing, or wonderful it is just silly, this makes Pnin an outlier in literature and makes the book both boring and interesting a quality so odd that it makes this book a great piece of literature. Unlike most biographies Pnin is written as a collection of stories each detailing a chapter in Timofeys life that can each be considered a whole piece of writing

in their own right. From this beautiful contraption spawns the life of Pnin.

Books are unique objects, perhaps creatures, that are born from beliefs, fantasies, and realities of the author. While all books are different, most follow a certain mold and thus are very similar in shape this ununiqueness is what makes up the common digest of daily reading but every once in a while something new comes along, a delicacy that cannot be looked over. Pnin is very much a delicacy that for some symbolizes something of an epitome in writing while others consider it another subclass of terrible, but either way Pnin still must be considered a masterpiece.

Timofey Pnin is very much a soldier in his own sense, physically he is unfit but his actions and ideology of striving to succeed are what make him such a powerful character.

Timofey is a Russian immigrant/refugee coming from Leninized Russia and "Hitlers war" coming from such a different place leaves poor Timofey with quite the social problem when he moves to America. During the progression of the book someone known only as the narrator throughout most of the story seems to be playing god with Timofeys life it is later revealed that the narrator is Nabokov who is constantly causing problems in Timofeys life. But even though "God" is plaguing Timofey with problems, he soldiers on and is always able to bring himself upright

again.

Pnin is a novel of someones life, and as such cannot be compared to many other books the comical aspects are reminiscent of Shakespeares Comedy of Errors, both are about people who have problems plaguing them. The one problem is the end of Comedy of Errors ends well while poor Pnins problems never end. Something more comparable is the recent movie The Grand Budapest Hotel which is a comedy that doesn't end well and is also narrated by a person identified only as Author. The similarities with the Grand Budapest Hotel and Pnin are astounding, once you get past the completely different plots. Another thing that is very closely related to Pnin is an onion. Both can bring a tear to your eye and both have many layers the similarities are obvious, however odd.
Pnin is very much an A list book.

Most A list books are inspiring stories like The Scarlet Letter which tells the story of an unjustly persecuted woman, this story has enchanted and inspired readers for almost two hundred years. Other A list books are fantastic and filled with wonder like Kidnapped, a classic coming of age story that tells of the adventures of a young man in old England. These are the books that most consider A list, and Pnin, has none of these characteristics. Though it is neither inspiring or fantastic it is unique, and a magnificent example of great writing. Though it does not meet all the A list expectations, it creates a whole new class of writing and thus must be considered an A list

book.

Pnin is as a must read book because of its oddness and difference. It is on the life of a Russian emigrant making his way through a bad life and soldiering on against all odds. This is a tale of success and survival. But it cannot be mistaken as a common piece of fiction, it is a delightfully different book that brings a completely new style of writing to the table. But even though it is so great, the book is inanely boring. Its writing is so good, it could be used to tech an English class and put one to sleep. Pnin is a must read, though most definitely not a must like. As all great pieces of art Pnin must be forever cherished.

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