This might help out with Transparent Things

Behind the Glass Pane: Vladimir Nabokov’s “Perfection” and Transcendence
Annette Wiesner, University of Stuttgart

"The protagonist of Transparent Things, Hugh Person, searching for an escape from the misery of his existence, tries to escape first through communion and love—much like the first attempts of Cincinnatus—and then seeks solace in his past. We are shown the distinct difference between the abilities of the still mortal consciousness of Hugh Person, who overlooks signs and patterns, and that of the transcended beings, R. and his companions, who are able to make sense of the patterns inherent in life, yet who are also limited in their own way. Nabokov once discarded a note for Pale Fire (1962) which read: “Time without consciousness—lower animal world; time with consciousness—man; consciousness without time—some still higher state.”[12] This last state is the one the narrators of Transparent Things inhabit, and one Cincinnatus and Hugh Person will reach after their deaths."