<P> Nabokov wrote about that unconventional ending: </P> <P> "All the traditional rules...have been broken in this wonderful short story...no problem, no regular climax, no point at the end . And it is one of the greatest stories ever written ." </P> <P> The story beautifully captures the quiet desperation of the two protagonists, their dissatisfaction with their meaningless lives and loveless marriages, and their craving for something better . Their deep love for each other fills that void and radically transforms their outlook on life . But that love also breaks their hearts, for, in 19th century Russia, they find it almost impossible to break away and start a new life together . </P> <P> The story can be seen as "Gurov's spiritual journey--his transformation from a connoisseur of women to a man tenderly devoted to a single ordinary woman ." The story can also be seen as "playing with the paradox that a lie--a husband deceiving a wife or a wife deceiving a husband--can be the fulcrum of truth of feeling, a vehicle of authenticity ." </P>

When does the lady with the dog take place