Invitation to a Beheading

A novel by Vladimir Nabokov, written in 1935–1936 and first published in the émigré journal “Sovremennye Zapiski.” The work recounts the story of Cincinnatus C., sentenced to death for “gnostical turpitude.” In the dystopian world of the novel, the protagonist turns out to be the only “opaque” person among “transparent” inhabitants. The novel explores themes of solitude, personal freedom, and defiance against a totalitarian society.