Nina

Nina is the central female character in Vladimir Nabokov’s most highly regarded short story “Spring in Fialta” written in Russian in 1936 and later published in English in 1947. The story is narrated by Victor who accidentally bumps into Nina in the fictitious Riviera seaside town of Fialta; he immediately reflects on their first encounter 15 years earlier when they shared a passionate moment outside of a party (Nina had also been engaged at the time). Over the course of the next 15 years, they would keep running into each other by chance or by luck and they carried on an affair while they were both married to other people. Nina is not your typical turn-of-the-century lady. She’s attractive, but aloof and elusive. Victor clearly has strong feelings for her demonstrated by his physical attraction to Nina, his frustration with her lack of attachment to him after their trysts and his obvious jealousy of her husband. But he lacks the conviction of true love. Oblivious and carefree, Nina just goes about her cheerful life while Victor stews in his discontent. Finally, as Nina is preparing the leave Fialta at the end of spring, Victor declares his love. Caught off guard, Nina’s reaction shows no reciprocity. Embarrassed, Victor takes it back. Nina then leaves Fialta and dies in a car crash on the way out of town. Her character is fascinatingly elusive. We struggle to understand her thoughts and feelings. She is ephemeral and carefree. Quite the opposite of the typically expected clingy type of woman. Victor is obsessed with her but can’t make heads or tails of her. Herein lies her mystery and allure.