The novel Mary by Vladimir Nabokov did not "wow" me. In fact, it came off as a bit mundane. I did however enjoy the subtle and sometimes obvious themes played with in the work regarding banishment. The love story, told through day dreams and love letters, came off as overdone and a bit lacking. Though I understand it must have been considered new and moving in its time, to my eyes nearly a hundred years later was uninteresting. I did find it clever how Nabokov weaved the story into the piece. .
In the beginning of the novel, Genin makes no reference what-so-ever to Mary, as he is stuck in his "oppressive love affair" with Lyudmila. Day after day he entertains a relationship of which he is bored and desperately wanting to leave, but cannot push himself to make that jump. I am left to wonder, is this theme to represents his current frame of mind as an exile as he is trapped by his inaction in a country in which he has no interest? I further find it interesting that from the first few pages of the novel Alfyorov, one of Genin's pension mates, constantly mentions his wife's imminent arrival in an obsessive annoying manner. He often gets trapped in the thought of the bit of his past life that is going to come and complete him. In many instances it seems to be running joke between the pension mates as they roll their eyes at her reference. To me, I see this as a representation of the feeling that, "something is missing," to Genin, who himself seems a bit annoyed by the constant reminder of Alfyorov wife. She, until now has yet to be seen. Is this a symbol of how an exile may not know exactly what it is about his current location that is not exactly like home, but having that feeling that always persists? .
Then, a picture of an old summer love of Genin's, Mary, is produced by Alfyorov, who is now Alfyorov wife. From then on Genin is a new man on a mission to reclaim what he has lost.