Annotations by Alexey Sklyarenko

At the beginning of Canto Three of his poem John Shade (the poet in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962) says that IPH (a lay Institute of Preparation for the Hereafter) engaged him for one term to speak on death ("to lecture on the Worm," wrote President McAber):

L'if, lifeless tree! Your great Maybe, Rabelais:

Describing the final part of Gradus’ sinister journey from Onhava (the beautiful capital of Kinbote's Zembla) to New Wye (a small University town in New England where Shade and Kinbote live), 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 train dubbed the Square Wheel by jolted and jerked students:

In his short poem “The Nature of Electricity” quoted by Kinbote in his commentary to Shade's poem John Shade (the poet in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962) says "Streetlamps are numbered; and maybe / Number nine-hundred-ninety-nine / (So brightly beaming through a tree / So green) is an old friend of mine:"

Describing John Shade's last birthday party (July 5, 1959), 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 ancient Dr. Sutton and his tall daughter, Mrs. Starr, a war widow (and president of Sybil Shade's book club):

In Canto Two of his poem John Shade (the poet in VN's novel Pale Fire, 1962) speaks of his dead daughter and mentions old Pan (the ancient Greek god of the wild, shepherds, flocks, rustic music, and fertility):

Another winter was scrape-scooped away.

The Toothwort White haunted our woods in May.

Summer was power-mowed, and autumn, burned.

Alas, the dingy cygnet never turned

Into a wood duck. And again your voice:

"But this is prejudice! You should rejoice

That she is innocent. Why overstress

According to 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), onhava-onhava means in Zemblan "far, far away:"

The narrator and main character in VN's novel Lolita (1955), Humbert Humbert dubs his devil "Aubrey McFate:"

Showing to Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Lolita, 1955) her house, Charlotte Haze (Lolita's mother) mentions her lilies:

In his foreword to Humbert Humbert's manuscript John Ray, Jr. (a character in VN's novel Lolita, 1955) mentions his colleague, Dr. Blanche Schwarzmann:

Describing his first physical contact with Lolita, Humbert Humbert (the narrator and main character in VN's novel Lolita, 1955) calls himself "Humbert the Hound:"