“Memory is a capricious and arbitrary creature. You never can tell what pebble she will pick up from the shore of life to keep among her treasures…”
Chapter 1
Ganin, a Russian émigré living in a Berlin boarding house, discovers that his neighbor Alfyorov’s wife, Mary, is his long-lost first love. As Alfyorov eagerly awaits her arrival from Russia, Ganin becomes consumed by memories of their passionate affair in pre-revolutionary Russia.
Chapter 2
Ganin recalls his youthful romance with Mary in detail—their secret meetings, the idyllic Russian countryside, and the intensity of first love. These memories contrast sharply with his current life of exile, where he feels disconnected from his surroundings and the other boarders.
Chapter 3
The boarding house residents are introduced more fully: the elderly poet Podtyagin, the comical dancers Kolin and Gornotsvetov, and the lonely Clara. Ganin becomes increasingly obsessed with Mary’s impending arrival, while Alfyorov remains oblivious to his neighbor’s growing agitation.
Chapter 4
Ganin’s memories intensify as he relives the moment of separation from Mary during the Russian Civil War. Meanwhile, Podtyagin struggles with his failed attempt to obtain a visa to Paris, symbolizing the émigrés’ collective sense of displacement and lost opportunities.
Chapter 5
As the day of Mary’s arrival approaches, Ganin makes a radical decision: he will intercept Mary at the station and run away with her. He spends his final days in Berlin saying silent goodbyes to the city and his fellow boarders.
Chapter 6
On the morning of Mary’s arrival, Ganin helps the ailing Podtyagin pack for his journey. At the last moment, Ganin has an epiphany—he realizes his love for Mary exists only in memory. He boards a different train alone, leaving Alfyorov waiting at the station.
Key ideas
- The unreliability and power of memory
- The experience of Russian émigrés in Berlin
- Nostalgia for lost love and homeland
- The contrast between past passion and present alienation
- The impossibility of recapturing the past
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in Russian émigré literature
- Those who appreciate psychological character studies
- Fans of Nabokov’s early works
- Anyone fascinated by themes of memory and nostalgia