The Gnostic Journey of Cincinnatus: An Invitation to a Study of Dualism and Symbolism.
Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov
Invitation to a Beheading is a complex and beautifully written novel that revolves around the life of Cincinnatus C., a man condemned to death for the vague crime of "gnostical turpitude."
Accussed of the most terrible of crimes, gnostical turpitude, so rare and so unutterable that it was necessary to use circumlococutions like ‘impenetrability’, ‘opacity’, ‘occlusion’; sentences for that crime to death by beheading; emprisoned in the fortress in expectation of the unknown but near and inexorable date (which he distinctly anticipated as the wrenching, yanking and crunch of a monstrous tooth, his whole body being the inflamed gum, and his head that tooth);
"Gnostical" relates to knowledge of the esoteric. The term "turpitude" itself means baseness or depravity. So, "gnostical turpitude" refers to some kind of inherently wicked esoteric knowledge. "Gnostic" also refers to a member of an early Christian era sect that was characterized by the belief in esoteric knowledge that can free the soul from the material world. While there is no evidence to suggest that Nabokov himself was a Gnostic, scholars have identified Gnostic elements in his work, including his book Invitation to a Beheading.
As he waits for his fate, Cincinnatus spends his time reading, reflecting on his life, and writing down his thoughts in a memoir of shorts. In the process of preparing Cincinnatus for his punishment, he is introduced to a variety of weird and superficial characters from the prison, including Rodion, the prison guard, and his daughter Emmie; Roman, his lawyer; Rodrig, the prison director; Marthe, Cincinnatus' wife; and Pierre, his executioner, who plays an important role in the story. He moves to a cell next to Cincinnatus, where he pretends to be an inmate to forge a bond with him.
The story is a surreal and absurd exploration of the nature of reality, identity, and the human experience in the face of impending death. It is characterised by a brilliantly fractured reality in which a plethora of ordinary and often idiotic and insignificant things are pushed upon Cincinnatus, a reflection, perhaps, of the absurd and farcical nature of the world he inhabits.
‘For thirty years I have lived among spectres that appear solid to the touch, concealing from them the fact that I am alive and real - but now that I have caught, there is no reason to be constrained by you. At least I shall test for myself al the unsubstantiality of this world of yours.’
Cincinnatus is distinguished from the other characters in several ways. He has a double, an additional Cincinnatus, who does all the things that the physical Cincinnatus cannot do. It is his Gnostic soul that gives him the ability to transcend reality and enter another realm. This imaginative realm, which is rooted in Cincinnatus's true spirituality, drives the story and engages the reader in a deeper way by allowing them to consider the philosophical and metaphysical implications of Cincinnatus's journey. The whole thing resembles a propped stage set, which the hero demolishes at the last possible moment by refusing to believe in the necessity of his own destruction.
Invitation to a Beheading is a complex and multi-layered novel that prompts readers to contemplate the arbitrary and irrational aspects of the human condition. It's worth reading for those who appreciate philosophical and existential literature.
