PninPnin
Score Classic
What it's about
Professor Timofey Pnin, a hapless Russian émigré with a shaky job at an American college in the 1950s, struggles to keep his dignity through comic and sad misunderstandings, academic plots and an unreliable narrator.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. Its comic hero grows in stature by contrast with those who laugh at him.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's both comic and sad.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller20 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Pnin worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,326 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Pnin about?
Professor Timofey Pnin, a hapless Russian émigré with a shaky job at an American college in the 1950s, struggles to keep his dignity through comic and sad misunderstandings, academic plots and an unreliable narrator.
How long does it take to read Pnin?
About 5 hours (186 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Pnin?
If you liked it, try Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov, Stoner by John Williams or Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis.