The American poet john Shade is dead. His last poem, 'Pale Fire', is put into a book, together with a preface, a lengthy commentary and notes By Shade's editor, charles kinbote. Known on campus as the 'great beaver', kin...The American poet john Shade is dead. His last poem, 'Pale Fire', is put into a book, together with a preface, a lengthy commentary and notes By Shade's editor, charles kinbote. Known on campus as the 'great beaver', kinbote is haughty, inquisitive, intolerant, but is he also mad, bad - and even dangerous?