Mary

 Mary (Russian Mashen'ka, Masen’ka) is Vladimir Nabokov's debut novel. The novel was first published in 1926 under the pen name V. Sirin by Russian-language publisher Slovo. Mary is the tale of Lev Glebovich's life as an Russian emigrant and ex-White Guard Officer who is forced to flee Russia by the Russian Revolution. Ganin now lives in Berlin with Klara an 18-year-old Russian girl and his landlady Lydia Nikolaevna Dorn. He also meets Aleksey Ivanovich Alfyorov in an elevator that is dark and deteriorating at the beginning of the novel. Ganin learns from Alfyorov that Mary who was his first love has become his wife. He also takes a photo. When Ganin is aware of this, he breaks off the relationship with his girlfriend, Lyudmila, and begins to become consumed by the memories of his experience in Russia with Mary that Ganin says as "perhaps the happiest moments of his life". Ganin is in awe of Mary's dream and is unable to allow Alfyorov to have his heart to. Ganin tries to reconnect with Mary who , he believes, has a love for Ganin.