Mary

Author: (American) Vladimir Nabokov (Nabokov, V.) wrote, Wang Jiaxiang translated
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: A is my novel. I began writing this book in Berlin, shortly after my marriage in the spring of 1925, and completed it by the beginning of the following year. It is well-known that beginners in creative writing have a strong tendency to incorporate their own experiences into their works. They place themselves or a substitute into their A novel, not so much because of the attraction of ready-made subjects, but rather to free themselves from the self so they can engage in more beautiful things with a lighter load. This is one of the few general rules I accept. Due to Russia's extraordinary remoteness and the fact that homesickness is always a devoted companion in one's life, I have grown accustomed to enduring this companion's heart-wrenching quirks in public. I admit my strong emotional attachment to this debut work without the slightest embarrassment. The story depicts the consequences of exile in Berlin. The officer Ganin discovers from a neighbor's photograph that the woman waiting for her husband is Mashinka, who turns out to be his first love from his middle school days. In the following days, Ganin constantly reminisces about his past and the beautiful times spent with her. He sets his neighbor's alarm clock back, replaces him to pick up Mashinka, and hopes to rekindle old flames with her. However, while waiting for the train, Ganin realizes that Mashinka is now married to someone else. No matter how much the past is cherished, it is ultimately gone forever. Finally, Ganin boards another train, leaves Berlin, and begins a new life in France.