The Real Life of Sebastian Knight.

NABOKOV, Vladimir. Introduction by Conrad Brenner.

$95.00

Item Number: 89025

Norfolk, Connecticut: New Directions, 1959.

First edition of the reissue of Nabokov’s first novel in English. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Ivan Chermayeff. Drawing by Michael Train. A nice example.

The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is a perversely magical literary detective story -- subtle, intricate, leading to a tantalizing climax -- about the mysterious life of a famous writer. Many people knew things about Sebastian Knight as a distinguished novelist, but probably fewer than a dozen knew of the two love affairs that so profoundly influenced his career, the second one in such a disastrous way. After Knight's death, his half brother sets out to penetrate the enigma of his life, starting with a few scanty clues in the novelist's private papers. His search proves to be a story as intriguing as any of his subject's own novels, as baffling, and, in the end, as uniquely rewarding.