Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - The Annotated Lolita

Going into this book I was worried at what view it would take on the obviously appalling nature of Humber’s Humber, however the author made it clear through his writing and notes that this was something rightfully viewed as disgusting. It was well paced, informative and an enjoyable (if that is the right word) narrative. The only trouble being that frequently, the author would speak in untranslated French and even with my rusty skills, google translate was often in play. A heart wrenching exploration of betrayal, trauma and lust.

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turtlebones's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I almost DNF this book but stuck it out and boy… once i did…. you can’t help but feel sorry for the professor but then you realize what he’s doing and who he is and you feel for Lolita.

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ketreads's review against another edition

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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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torgotorgo's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-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

4.5

An upsetting powerhouse of unreliable narration.

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kgartung's review against another edition

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dark

3.5

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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challenging 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

2.0

Honestly, I knew before starting this that this book just wasn't going to be for me. I read [book:My Dark Vanessa|44890081] earlier this year, and I knew the subject matter of this book, and I knew it was going to be difficult for me to get through. And I definitely wasn't wrong.

There's a part of me that understands that this is a culturally significant book, that it's making a commentary on society, etc. etc. There's just something about a man writing a story about a pedophile that really just doesn't sit right with me. With My Dark Vanessa, I feel like we got more of a nuanced conversation about the power imbalance in a relationship like this. This book...definitely was not that.

Either way, I can at least say I've read it! And it will make an interesting conversation tomorrow at book club!

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