The story follows the life of the protagonist, a man named Pnin, who recounts his experiences during the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war. The book is set in the early 1900's and follows the life of Pnin, a professor at a prestigious university in St. Petersburg, Russia. Pnin is a scholarly man who is well-versed in literature and history, but struggles with everyday life. He has a difficult time finding work due to his poor health and lack of connections, and he often finds himself in comical situations. Despite these challenges, Pnin remains optimistic and determined to succeed. Throughout the novel, Pnin reflects on the changing times and how technology is evolving rapidly, leading to a loss of traditional values and social norms. He also grapples with the idea of developing a personal paradigm for perceiving the technological process of developing modern knowledge as the basis for survival of humanity and the unification of people in a warring state.

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