Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

30 reviews

smacey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

3/21/2024: I will be writing a review of this book eventually, but with nearly a year going by since I read it, I have finally come to the conclusion that I am giving it 4 stars which is not at all what I was expecting or thinking to rate it before and during my reading...

UPDATE WITH ACTUAL REVIEW ONE AND A HALF YEARS LATER (8/26/2024):

4.50/5.00

After hating this book for the first half of it and then getting invested but not knowing how I felt about it during the second half, I look back and understand why it is considered a literary classic, though it's not for the reasons I thought/are widely believed (thank God). THIS IS NOT A BEAUTIFUL, FORBIDDEN LOVE STORY. If that is what you got from reading it... Please think about the possibility that it was so well-written as being from the perspective of a master manipulator that you may have yourself been manipulated into believing that there could be anything romantic, beautiful, or at all right about a relationship between a fully grown adult man and pre-pubescent girl.

As someone who is fascinated by psychology and criminology and enjoys reading fucked up stories, this was an excellent read. I thought I was going to hate it. I DID initially hate it, actually. Even after first finishing the book, I wasn't sure what I thought about it. But it is written so impeccably well and gives such an interesting perspective into the mind and point of view of a pedophile who actively grooms a young girl and the ways in which he justifies his disturbing urges he has and detestable actions he commits towards this 12-year-old girl, all the way up to the end of his life, long after the actual story took place.

As someone who is disturbed by adult men who are attracted to minors and utterly disgusted by those men who act on those urges they have towards minors but fascinated by the psyche of those men, I very much appreciate this work and the way in which it illustrates the way such a person may think and justify their thoughts and behaviors.

As someone who initially picked up this book because I am a huge Lana Del Rey fan and very aware of her love of Nabokov as a writer and the story of Lolita as well as the influence Lolita had on much of her early music, particularly that on the Born to Die album (which is also the album which caused my discovery of her and first invoked a deep admiration for her as an artist and human being), I love that this is a work that can also in a sense speak to women who have had any sort of similar experience/ever been groomed and/or manipulated by a drastically older man/ever been manipulated into believing that this story or any similar stories are indeed romantic or beautiful or at all right and that they may be able to see themselves in Lolita.

As someone who is repulsed by "adult-minor relationships" and enraged by any act of sexual harassment or assault, this was at times a very difficult read.

As someone who loved the book My Dark Vanessa and looks forward to reading others like it, I am so glad Lolita exists and inspired similar, yet arguably more important stories that instead give a voice to the young female victims of the type of individuals that Humbert Humbert represents.

There are so many complexities and nuances to Lolita in all aspects (plot, character, setting, writing, you name it) and honestly is a book I want to read a second time through eventually to get a better grasp on all there is to it. It is not an easy read in any way really and is by no means perfect, but it is worth the time and energy it takes to get through and process. I look forward to diving more into the implications the publishing of this book in the 50s had, the reasoning Nabokov had behind writing it in the first place, and the impact it has had on those who have read it, for better or for worse. Love it or hate it, it has been cemented as an important literary work and I truly believe will always be viewed as such. I think reading this earlier in my life, particularly with the guidance of a knowledgeable, safe, female adult, could have been so beneficial to me, but nonetheless I am happy that I finally picked it up, read it all the way through, and allowed myself to form my own opinion on it regardless of the controversies that surround it and what others have to say about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder

starlireads's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

4.25

Anyone who thinks this is a romance or a comedy has lost their last brain cell. It is well written and witty but it is not fun or romantic. 
Worth the read I just had to take occasional breaks because I got too angry.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Incest, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, and Pregnancy

nvlasenkor's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.25

It was very well-written but the most uncomfortable book I have ever read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Kidnapping

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

Main character kidnaps and continually rapes a 12 year old, then spends the whole book justifying his actions. He goes as far as to blame the girl for tempting him, refer to her not as a human but as a demon child. Really well written but this is not for the faint of heart. I felt very downcast reading this and almost DNF’d.

saturn_rage's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

3.0

Jeromy Irons the narrator carries this for me. I hate hate hate hate hate our main character, Humbert Humbert, and while this book is a fantastic example of unreliable narration, he is not redeemable in any ways. Having actually read this book also makes me reevaluate earlier assessments of this story I’ve heard before by others, namely that you will feel bad for Humbert. The opening of Captain Fantastic comes to mind in this regard. And if you share this sentiment, that you are sorry for this monster, then you are telling on yourself. I’m glad I read this, I think it should be read, but I will never touch it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Moderate: Sexism and Stalking

rebekkamafia's review against another edition

challenging dark

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident and Pregnancy

kmae314's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Would not read again. I’ve seen enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, 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

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

bibyabs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexism and Gaslighting

Minor: Fatphobia