Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Annotated Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

15 reviews

nisha_111's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Incest, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Death, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Murder, Pedophilia, and Stalking

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

Moderate: Car accident

gabriella_'s review against another edition

challenging dark 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

This is literally one of the worst books I’ve ever read and the fact it’s well written makes me hate it more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Trafficking, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Self harm, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Body shaming, Sexism, Gaslighting, Incest, Mental illness, Grief, Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Emotional abuse

greenrequiem's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, and Sexual violence

persikan_05's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Incest, Medical content, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, and Gun violence

lissurrr's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• 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, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Stalking, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

elisanisly's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Rape, Murder, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Stalking, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Child death

maddie_is_literate's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, and Kidnapping

Minor: Medical content and Pregnancy

hannah_cook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Trafficking

Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, and Abandonment

natashajade's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

The ramblings of an unfortunately proud, woe-is-me paedophile. I love how, despite being narrated by the obsessive and delusional Humbert, if you pay close attention the emotions of Dolores Haze (Lolita) break through occasionally. Still, those emotions are clouded through the romanticised lenses of Dr Humbert Humbert. 

People give this book a low rating out of disgust for how he describes a child, but the fact you're so disgusted means the author did their job perfectly. Anyone who reads this book and thinks that Nabokov's intention was to villainise the 'teasing' child and make HH the victim, clearly missed the point.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship