- For eight years, Pnin has been changing his apartment every semester. Mostly because of noise problems, not just because his landlords don't like him.
- Every time he moves, he gets a little bit pickier, but by now he has the best rooms he's ever had. His place at the Clements' house is bigger and nicer than any of the other ones he's ever stayed in. It's the first one he's really liked, and he has stayed there for more than a semester.
- And now Pnin is all alone in his favorite house because Joan and Lawrence have suddenly disappeared to visit their daughter Isabel. We have a feeling something is up with that marriage of hers.
- Our professor is finally going to do some professor-ing. Even though it's his birthday, he heads to class to deliver a lecture. And, even though he's only teaching elementary Russian, the subject of class today is Pushkin (basically the Russian version of Shakespeare). Oh, and death. Totally an appropriate topic for Russian 101.
- The lecture is over when Pnin leans back and breaks his chair. Class dismissed!
- Pnin doesn't go to his office between his classes. You see, it's basically in the middle of nowhere. He used to have a nice office in the German department, but a newly hired Austrian professor basically kicked him out.
- It's lunchtime now, and Pnin heads out for lunch. He sits down right next to Komarov, who seems to be the only other Russian on the faculty and the complete opposite of Pnin. Our professor accuses this guy of wanting his library book, but Komarov completely denies it. There goes that theory.
- After lunch, Pnin heads over to Waindell College Library, his favorite place to hang out.
- But this time he has something important to figure out. Just who is it that requested his book? He asks the librarian, and after a hint gets dropped (that Pnin completely ignores) warning him that the Clements will kick him out when their daughter returns, Pnin finds the answer. Why would he think about housing when he's tracking down a mysterious book, anyway? So who's the book thief? Drumroll, please…
- It was him. And we just can't resist a duh. Who else would want that old collection of Russian literature? And who else would recall a book from himself? So Pnin leaves in a huff. He heads over to the periodicals room to read the latest edition of a Russian language daily newspaper.
- After reading about the most ridiculous editorial argument you've ever heard of, Pnin starts on his research. You see, our professor has been preparing to write a short history of Russian culture. In case that sounds normal to you, you should know that "short" and "Russian" are basically completely mutually exclusive. Anyway, every day he's been collecting material for his dream project.
- Today, it's a book on Russian myth that talks about a tradition practiced in the Upper Volga. Pnin gets really intense about his research, and before you know it, it's dinnertime.
- After some debate about what he should do, Pnin decides to go to a program presented by some of the members of the college. The first part includes some films from Charlie Chaplin that Pnin doesn't get at all.
- But things start getting really interesting during the second part. That's when they decide to show a Soviet documentary film, that seems to be nothing more than a bunch of feel-good propaganda. Pnin knows this. He's a smart guy. So why does he start bawling like a baby while he is watching?
- Anyway, after that he heads home to get ready for bed. The chapter is almost over, and we're pretty sure that we'll see him falling off into dreamland when something unexpected happens.
- There's a noise outside, people yelling about a broken bronze wheel. Pnin is awake and has no idea what's going on. Someone is running upstairs, and almost makes their way to the door before John (Joan) Clements yells. It's Isabel. She's come home.