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Pnin

Pnin book cover
P
Fiction Classics

by Vladimir Nabokov, David Lodge

starstarstarstar_halfstar
3.90 (11.5K ratings)
calendar_today 1953
description 143 pages

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov, David Lodge holds a well received rating of 3.90 out of 5, based on 11.5K reader ratings. First published in 1953. The book spans 143 pages.

About Pnin

One of the best-loved of Nabokov’s novels, Pnin features his funniest and most heart-rending character. Professor Timofey Pnin is a haplessly disoriented Russian émigré precariously employed on an American college campus in the 1950's. Pnin struggles to maintain his dignity through a series of comic and sad misunderstandings, all the while falling victim both to subtle academic conspiracies and to the manipulations of a deliberately unreliable narrator.Initially an almost grotesquely comic figure, Pnin gradually grows in stature by contrast with those who laugh at him. Whether taking the wrong train to deliver a lecture in a language he has not mastered or throwing a faculty party during which he learns he is losing his job, the gently preposterous hero of this enchanting novel evokes the reader’s deepest protective instinct.Serialized in The New Yorker and published in book form in 1957, Pnin brought Nabokov both his first National Book Award nomination and hitherto unprecedented popularity.

Detail Value
Author Vladimir Nabokov, David Lodge
Published 1953
Pages 143
Genres Fiction, Classics
Average Rating 3.90 / 5.00
Total Ratings 11,538

Reader Ratings & Analysis

Rating Overview

3.9
starstarstarstar_halfstar
11.5K ratings
With a rating of 3.90, Pnin is rated below the global average of 4.17. Compared to its genre average of 3.99, it performs on par.

How It Compares

3.90
This Book
3.99
Classics Average
4.17
Global Average

Frequently Asked Questions

What genre is Pnin?

Pnin is categorized as Fiction, Classics. Its primary genre classification is Classics.

Is Pnin worth reading?

Based on 11.5K reader ratings, Pnin has an average score of 3.90 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."

How many pages is Pnin?

Pnin has 143 pages. It is a relatively quick read.

Who wrote Pnin?

Pnin was written by Vladimir Nabokov, David Lodge. It was first published in 1953.

What is the ISBN for Pnin?

The ISBN-13 for Pnin is 9781400041980.0.

Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 24, 2026