Relatives, friends, and professional associates examine the life and works of the Russian-born novelist and critic. Nabokov, who began his literary career as a poet, is perhaps best known for his controversial novel, Lolita, and an irreverent critical work on Nikolai Gogol. Writing extensively in both Russian and English, his intricate, stylish literary effects and unorthodox structure are apparent in works including Pale Fire and The Gift. Excerpts from these and other novels reinforce the core thesis of his entire body of fiction: the problem of art itself, presented in various figurative disguises. A BBC Production. (53 minutes)