Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

73 reviews

ferris_wheel's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

After a month or so of this book weighing heavy on my mind, I completed it with tears. A painful memoir of a charismatic, lying pedophile. To be swayed by the words of Humbert Humbert because as a reader you do not know what really happened. The eyes of Humbert are evil and therefore project evil. The sadness I felt once finishing the book was for Dolores. She’s not real, but her story is real for many children.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism, Medical content, and Death of parent

nina_mk's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

krzem's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence and Pregnancy

g1lg4mesh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I find myself in a pickle of sorts in reviewing this book- I cannot in good faith blindly recommend it, and yet it is simultaneously the most incredible text I have ever engaged with. Lolita simply redefines the standard of the masterpiece, building not a glass ceiling (such tangibilities are beneath it), rather, casting the colloquial “bar” to the very heavens, where it may never be seen again. Only read this book if you are prepared to finish it- know too that this is no simple matter- but read this book, if you may be so bold. It will challenge you, and you may want to hurl it into a fire at times, but still, you simply must make it to that final page. This is a book that redefines the 5th star, and shakes any attempt at literary tier lists to its very core.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kierank's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I would get lost in the beautiful prose and then remember what I was reading about and get sick to my stomach, which I’m sure is the point. Reading this as a teen definitely heightened the horror aspect. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

stindex's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

sombies's review against another edition

challenging dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nabokov was crazyyy for this one. its wild how laser targeted his read is of the kind of joyless motherfuckers who fantasize about having complete control over little girls to avoid taking control of their own lives. ive known a humbert humbert and it's likely you know one too

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racism and Lesbophobia

bycath's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

ketreads's review against another edition

challenging

2.5

Lolita is a perfect example of an author setting out the task of getting an idea, a character, on paper and doing it most effectively.

Nabokov's purpose of writing the book, to capture a pedophiles point of view, was expertly done. Humbert in all ways encapsulates a being able to cause untold damage to an innocent. Humbert is undeniably a horrible, calous, and unrepentant villain. Reading the mental gymnastics this character went through to justify his actions was infuriating and it feels almost so over the top to be comedic. How can a character be so reflective and yet so blind to the irony of his own judgement.

I often found, especially in the 2nd half, the inner dialogue of Humbert very difficult to follow. I'm not sure if this was intentional, to show his mental decline, but I found myself unable to understand what a lot of sentences were saying. The ones I did, were very well written, almost poetic so it feels more intentional by the author than otherwise.

I'm also not sure whether to say I "liked" the book but I do think it achieved what I sought out of the book. Read at your own peril!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

jedore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

“You know, what’s so dreadful about dying is that you are completely on your own.”

Lolita is the story of obsession and pedophilia that was as revolting as I had expected. At best, it was uncomfortable to be inside the mind of a narcissistic pedophile…at worst, utterly disgusting.

Character development was limited to the highly unlikeable pedophile, Humbert Humbert, but was absolutely masterful. In fact, Humbert WAS the story as there was very little action. (It would be fascinating to read a book from Delores’/Lolita’s perspective.)

To add to my negative feelings about Humbert, I found his pompous vocabulary and frequent use of un-translated French irritating. It also created emotional distance between me and this book.

This was one of those books I read purely out of curiosity and a desire to be better educated. Over the years, it has been regularly referenced in books, movies, and even song lyrics and I was missing out on meanings. Now I get it. I am glad I read it…all knowledge is power, but I won’t miss Humbert one bit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Abandonment

Moderate: Car accident