Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

Describing the death of Alexander Yakovlevich Chernyshevski, Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Dar, "The Gift," 1937) says that life is not a journey and that we are sitting at home:

In his Commentary to Shade’s poem Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions a decrepit emeritus from Boston whom Professor Hurley described with deep respect as "a true Patrician, a real blue-blooded Brahmin:"

Describing the death of Queen Blenda (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, the mother of Charles Xavier Vseslav), Kinbote (Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions Countess de Fyler who beat all seven councilors by one alin and spat out the news about the Queen’s death:

In his Commentary to Shade’s poem Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions Assistant Professor Misha Gordon, a red-haired musician:

Describing the death of Queen Blenda, Kinbote (in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962, Shade’s mad commentator who imagines that he is Charles the Beloved, the last self-exiled king of Zembla) mentions Fifalda and Fleur de Fyler, daughters of Countess de Fyler (Queen Blenda's favorite lady in waiting):

Before the family dinner in “Ardis the Second” Demon Veen (in VN’s novel Ada, 1969, Van’s and Ada’s father) tells Van that a good son should put up with a little paternal repetitiousness:

In VN’s novel Ada (1969) two gypsy courtesans predict to Van that he will never have children:

In his letter to Ada written after Lucette’s suicide Van Veen (the narrator and main character in VN’s novel Ada, 1969) calls Demonia (aka Antiterra, Earth’s twin planet on which Ada is set) “this pellet of muck:”

In Canto Three of his poem John Shade (the poet in VN’s novel Pale Fire, 1962) mentions empires of rhyme and Indies of calculus:

But who can teach the thoughts we should roll-call

When morning finds us marching to the wall

Under the stage direction of some goon

Political, some uniformed baboon?

We'll think of matters only known to us -

Before the family dinner in “Ardis the Second” Demon Veen (in VN’s novel Ada, 1969, Van’s and Ada’s father) calls the new kerosene distillery stïd i sram (shame) of our county: