Vladimir nabokovs pale fire and the problem of interface. As far as we are aware this is the only fine press treatment of any nabokov novel. With a separate volume for the poem pale fire and a frontispiece portrait of the author. Charitable giving sustains this temple of the book, one of the worlds last complete letterpress printing workshops and the resource behind arion press s literary classics illustrated by top artists. Arion press produces limited edition letterpress printed artist books. In pale fire nabokov offers a cornucopia of deceptive pleasures. Nabokov borrowed the title from shakespeare the moons an arrant thief, and her pale fire she snatches from the sun fashioning with it a bold literary experiment steeped in centuries of tradition. With the poem printed separately in a companion volume. The arion press is widely considered the nations leading publisher of fine press books, building on the tradition begun nearly a century before by brothers edwin and robert grabhorn at their grabhorn press. Nabokov bibliography all about vladimir nabokov in print. The arion bible, praised for its cathedrallike grandeur and mastery of execution is a contemporary testament to fine press achievement. In 1994 arion press issued a multivolume, limited edition of pale fire.
Limited to 200 numbered copies for sale, this being copy number 126. Letter by letter, turning whitmans leaves of grass into a. Andrew hoyems san franciscobased arion press can be thought of as a. Renowned nabokov authority brian boyd brilliantly explains pale fire on its and shades own terms, showing how its texture compares with shakespeares sonnets at their best. A 999 line poem in heroic couplets, divided into 4 cantos, was composedaccording to nabokovs fictionby john francis shade, an obsessively methodical man, during the last 20 days of his life. Pale fire together with on nabokovs pale fire by andrew hoyem. The novel is presented as a 999line poem titled pale fire, written by the fictional poet john shade, with a foreword, lengthy commentary and index written by shades neighbor and academic colleague, charles kinbote. But here we rescue pale fire from the madmans hand to show the magicians sleight of hand, and the enchantment, in nabokovs most ambitious poem. Once i was done looking at those, i had the pleasure of looking at some of their outofprint books. The book as art illustrated books unique book bindings. The combination of brillatsavarins classic text and the vibrant colourful images of wayne thiebaud b. Pba galleries literature and todd collection of arion press.
The innovative narrative technique developed by vladimir nabokov for his 1962 novel pale fireessentially a single epic poem with footnotes and commentaryanticipated hypertext, the internet, and the interconnected world of blogs. A complete list of arion press publications to date. Each sold at auction for thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars. Pale fire, nabokovs 14th novel and 5th in english, putnam, 1962. Arion press known as one of americas finest letterhead presses, arion is one of the few fine arts, limitededition presses that has continued to go from strength to strength, primarily due to its solid foundations, dedication to excellence and strong connections. The novel was originally published in 1962 and combines a 999line poem titled pale fire into its narrative. Original iridescent indigo cloth with yellow iridescent cloth inlay, lettered in gilt, yellow iridescent cloth slipcase. One of 200 numbered copies, designed and produced by andrew hoyem, printed on mouldmade paper. Arion press publisher, andrew hoyem, lays it out in the books colophon. Copy 143 of 200 numbered copies, of a total edition of 226. An exhibited artist, hoyem occasionally includes his own drawings in arion books, including vladimir nabokovs pale fire, francis thistletons how i came to be governor of the island of cacona, edwin abbott abbotts flatland, and shakespeares venus and adonis.
He also undertook english translations of works by lermontov and pushkin and wrote several books of criticism. Sep 11, 2015 one of the last of its kind, arion press has only a handful of members on its staff, all fellow craftsmen dedicated to this age old process. Various authors arion press eleven books printed by arion press. Contemporary literature madison, wi, spring 1992, 33. I also looked at thirtythree sonnets of guido cavalcanti, pale fire, the physiology of taste, tartuffe, and venus and adonis. Arion almost never talks, and the only vocal noises she makes are hissing or growling.
Arion press published two of his collections, picture. The novel is presented as a poem titled pale fire with commentary by a friend of the poets. Pale fire is arguably vladimir nabokovs funniest novel written in the form of an extended commentary by a madman charles kinbote on a poem written by poet john shade. Following grabhorns death in 1973, hoyem reformed the company as the arion press. Designed and produced by andrew hoyem copies on abebooks copies on ebay. Top 50 rare and valuable books the following books are considered by many collectors to be the most rare and valuable. Our name, pale fire, was taken from nabokovs booklength poem published in 1962. Charitable giving sustains this temple of the book, one of the worlds last complete letterpress printing workshops and the resource behind arion presss literary classics illustrated by. The novel has been hailed as one of the most striking early examples of postmodernism and has become a famous test case for theories about reading because of the apparent impossibility of deciding between several radically different interpretations.
Discover the top 10 most expensive sales on abebooks for. The novel includes the 999 line poem pale fire which forms the target of the kinbotes outofcontrol commentary. The press ephemera collection is intended as a supplement to published works held in mu libraries. If you need additional information for outofprint titles, please contact us. Pale fire is regarded by many as vladimir nabokovs masterpiece. Over 400 lots of fine literature, significant modern press books, artist. Now considered one of the most accomplished printers of today, hoyem gained total control of the press, choosing literary texts, commissioning new work from writers and artists he admires, and designing the books, including their bindings and typography. Underlined titles are available for purchase in our store. For those of us in love with the weight, feel, and smell of real books, san franciscos arion press is an antidote for our digital times. Furthermore, hoyem wrote an essay, published by arion press in.
Vladimir nabokov is a published author and a translator of childrens books. Pale fire has spawned a wide variety of interpretations and a large body of written criticism. One of the last of its kind, arion press has only a handful of members on its staff, all fellow craftsmen dedicated to this age old process. Eleven books printed by arion press arion publications, trade editions, keepsakes, and commission imprints. Franklin books offer the book as art books on our website and in our oldwick gallery in oldwick, new jersey. Pale fire is arguably vladimir nabokov s funniest novel written in the form of an extended commentary by a madman charles kinbote on a poem written by poet john shade. Some of the published credits of vladimir nabokov include pale fire, spea. Buy pale fire penguin modern classics by nabokov, vladimir from amazons fiction books store. The novel has been hailed as one of the most striking early examples of postmodernism and has become a famous test case for theories about reading because of the apparent impossibility of. Pale fire compared to joseph conrads the secret agent, nathaniel wests miss lonelyhearts, and doris lessings the golden notebook. Apr 04, 2020 pale fire 1962 is a novel by vladimir nabokov. From the foundry where molten lead is turned into either individual letters or lines of type on 100yearold machines, to the press room where the type is handset, letter by letter.
The upcoming gingko press edition november 2010 of the poem pale fire by vladimir nabokov should be cataloged as the first separate, independently published edition to distinguish it from the arion press first separate edition that accompanied the novel as a twovolume set. Johannes gutenberg, printed 1456, 180 copies known to exist. The first one hundred books notes by kevin starr, glenn todd, peter kraus and andrew hoyem. Find books like pale fire from the worlds largest community of readers. I was also an adviser on the 1994 arion press edition of pale fire, which is an exquisite thing, with a moire cloth box and cover that manage to capture the interplay of sun and moon in the passage of timon of athens from which nabokov and shade pick the phrase pale fire.
Captivity narrative of hannah duston, related by cotton mather, john greenleaf whittier, nathaniel hawthorne and henry david thoreau, four versions of events in 1697. We have a wide variety of illustrated books with unique bindings, handmade by artists, which focus on the book as art as well as unique book sculptures. An ingeniously constructed parody of detective fiction and learned commentary, at the center of pale fire is a 999line poem written by the literary genius john shade just before his death. Ron rosenbaum at slate is wrong about nabokovs pale fire. Vladimir nabokov books, biography, contact information.
Arions eyes are onyxblack, always scanning her environment warily. Pale fire together with on nabokovs pale fire by andrew hoyem, a keepsake for subscribers. The upcoming gingko press edition november 2010 of the poem pale fire by vladimir nabokov should be cataloged as the first separate, independently published edition to distinguish it from the arion press first separate edition that accompanied the novel as a. Gingko presss edition of pale fire is handsdown the most beautiful book of the year. Lithographs by robert graham copies on abebooks copies on ebay. A fine press limited edition of nabokovs novel in the form of a 999 line poem, with fictional commentary. More information about this seller contact this seller 6. Pale fire is the product of three years passion, originally conceived by. What a pleasure to actually hold and peruse the famous arion press moby dick. This is a complete list of all arion press publications. She prefers to fade into the background and often lurks in the corners of the room, never speaking, just waiting.