Cloud, Castle, Lake by Vladimir Nabokov
"Cloud, Castle, Lake" is a novella by Vladimir Nabokov that tells the story of Vasili Ivanovich, a mild-mannered Russian émigré living in Berlin. After winning a pleasure trip at a charity event, Vasili reluctantly joins a group of fellow travelers, each a counterpart to the others, led by a group leader and the ominous Schramm from the Bureau of Pleasantrips. As the journey unfolds, Vasili finds himself increasingly isolated, struggling to connect with his German companions who prioritize collective enjoyment over individual reflection. His attempts to engage with the beauty of nature and Russian poetry are met with ridicule, escalating from playful teasing to a sinister atmosphere as night falls.
The group eventually arrives at a picturesque lake with a castle, yet their indifference to the serene setting contrasts sharply with Vasili's fascination. When he chooses to stay at a nearby inn, captivated by the scenery, the group perceives his decision as a betrayal and forcibly drags him back, subjecting him to torment during their return. Upon his arrival in Berlin, Vasili shares his harrowing experience with his employer, expressing a desire to be freed from both his job and the burdens of human connection. This novella explores themes of alienation, the clash between individual desire and societal expectations, and the darker sides of group dynamics.
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Cloud, Castle, Lake by Vladimir Nabokov
First published: "Oblako, ozero, bashnya," 1937 (English translation, 1941)
Type of plot: Fable
Time of work: 1936 or 1937
Locale: Berlin and surrounding countryside
Principal Characters:
Vasili Ivanovich , a Russian emigreThe narrator , who wrote the storyGerman members of a tour group The tour leader Schramm , a "stimulator" from the Bureau of Pleasantrips
The Story
Vasili Ivanovich, a mild-mannered Russian emigre living in Berlin, wins a pleasure trip at a charity ball. Although Vasili is reluctant to travel anywhere, he finally decides to go when he discovers that getting out of the trip would involve cutting through all sorts of red tape in the bureaucracy. The tour group gathered at the railway station consists of four women and four men, each a kind of double of the other. The group leader is assisted by a sinister man called Schramm, from the Bureau of Pleasantrips. After their train departs, it soon becomes obvious that Vasili Ivanovich is the odd man out. When he attempts to read Russian lyrical poetry or observe the beauties of nature, his German companions interrupt him and force him to join them in singing uplifting songs or playing games. At first their teasing is good-natured; later, as nightfall approaches, it turns malevolent.
The group disembarks from the train and begins hiking through the countryside, eventually arriving at a blue lake with an old black castle on its far side and a beautiful cloud hanging over it. The insensitive Germans ignore the view, but Vasili is enthralled by its beauty. He sneaks away from the group, follows the shore, and comes to an inn. After the innkeeper shows him a room for rent, with a view of the cloud, castle, and lake, Vasili decides to take the room for the rest of his life. He runs joyfully down to the meadow to inform his companions. The collective of pleasure trippers, however, refuses to accept what they see as a betrayal of their common venture. Infuriated, they seize Vasili and drag him, "as in a hideous fairy tale," down a forest road to the train. On the return journey they torture him, using a corkscrew and a homemade knout. On his arrival back in Berlin, Vasili goes to see the narrator, his employer. He tells the story of what happened and begs to be released from his position and from humanity. The narrator graciously lets him go.
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