In Vladimir Nabokov's first English novel, the narrator, V., embarks on a quest to write the definitive biography of his recently deceased half-brother, the enigmatic author Sebastian Knight. As V. delves into Sebastian's past, interviewing friends, lovers, and rivals, he confronts a maze of conflicting testimonies and deceptive clues. This journey becomes less about documenting a life and more about a postmodern investigation into identity, art, and the elusive nature of truth. The novel masterfully blurs the lines between biography, fiction, and detective story, challenging the very possibility of capturing a person's real self.