The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Vladimir Nabokov
- First Published: 1941
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Parody
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: Russia, England, and France
- Principal Characters: V., Sebastian Knight
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: Philosophy or philosophers
- Locales: Paris, France
The Story:
V. wanted to write a biography of his deceased half brother, Sebastian Knight. Writing the book was V.’s act of homage, or commemoration, for whom he believed to be an unjustly forgotten novelist. V. had a rival, a Mr. Goodman, who had previously written a biography of Sebastian Knight. V. objected to Mr. Goodman’s book on the grounds that it was false, insensitive, and full of clichés in its portrayal of Sebastian and his unique genius. The true reason for V.’s disgust with Goodman’s biography, however, slowly emerged: jealousy. Goodman had written a book...
[The entire page is 2137 words long]
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