Vladimir Nabokov was a prolific writer of novels both in Russian and English. Most famous was Lolita, which brought him international fame. This seminar focuses on another of his masterpieces, Invitation to a Beheading, which uncharacteristically for Nabokov, deals with a political subject: totalitarianism. Critics variously considered it a 'dystopian fable' and a 'cosmic nightmare.' In this seminar we will be concerned with the author's portrayal of this ideology and why he wrote the novel.