Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

105 reviews

jaymae21's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

The language of this book is some of the most beautiful I have ever read, and the subject matter the most revolting.  This will not be a book you can fly through, you will have to pace yourself, take breaks, and try to refrain from throwing the book across the room in order to get through it.  So why read it at all?  For anyone with an interest in psychology, it's an interesting look into the mind of a mad nymphomaniac.  For anyone with a liking for satire, this book has some surprisingly funny moments.   For anyone with a love of language, there are passages that will make you forget you are reading about pedophilia, and remind you of the power of words.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism

cinnamonmist's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

4.75

Not at all for the weak of stomach, but fantastic book if you are prepared for it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Racial slurs, Medical content, and Alcohol

stringdom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Rape

batrick_pateman's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

Where to start?
This is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, maybe even the most beautifully written. Nabokov was a master at playing with language, it's amazing that he only started writing in English in the middle of his life and career. I'm in awe of the writing, and the plot makes me feel filthy. Like a stain I can't remove.
In a lesser writer's hands, Humbert Humbert would be a stock character and this book would be worse than worthless - but Nabokov turns it into a dissection of not just a predator's psyche, but the reader's idea of a predator's psyche. At every turn, H. H. is trying to win the reader's sympathy - he never lies, but he obscures, justifies, begs, contrasts himself with

Quilty

, and does everything else he can to hide the fact that he is a monster. Thanks to Nabokov's writing, it almost works - recognizing H. H. as a monster and a predator forces you to reject the popular image of The Pedophile and re-think your idea of what predators are like. Brilliant, disturbing, important, gorgeously written, and a book I'll definitely return to someday.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gun violence and Murder

yjd's review against another edition

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

4.5

Hmmmm.  I was rather surprised to see so many bad reviews calling the book disturbing and describing Humbert as a creep. That is the point?? This book was a challenging foray into the insidious manipulation an abuser can wield. Not just over their victim but themselves too. It was really interesting to see the self-manipulation Humbert engaged in in order to delude himself and justify his abuse. It was equally fascinating to see his desire to present himself as a "tempted," "weak" man to the reader. An absolute masterclass in an unreliable narrator - you could never take anything at face value in the book. The prose was beautiful and created a fascinating juxtaposition against the content.

I feel bad saying the book dragged in parts, but it definitely felt like that at times. For me, the fascinating narrative choice also had its drawbacks. Seeing things from Humbert's perspective was incredibly challenging and made this book what it is. Yet, it left me with a feeling of curiosity regarding Lolita. I really just wanted one glimpse into her psyche that was not coloured by Humbert's garbage perspective. But I suppose that's for a different book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Pedophilia

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Gun violence and Violence

frmeden's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

"In the infinite run it does not matter a jot that a North American girl child named Dolores Haze had been deprived of her childhood by a maniac, unless this can be proven."

it is so hard to put into words the way this novel affected me, other than we've done a great disservice to it by peddling it as a 'love story' for all these years. nabokov can say this story has no moral but the authorial intent reads very clear to me! i do almost feel like i could go back and read it again and catch new things because it kind of reads like a very overwritten horror/mystery novel, because HH is lying to you constantly and covering up his crimes with flowery prose. dolores haze you deserved better, who the fuck is "lolita" anyway!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death

aisclaradm's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

Really incredible. I was in a bit of a reading slump and it took me longer than it should have to get through the book, but I never didn’t enjoy it. Despite how vile the narrator and his actions are, there’s something strangely touching about how pathetic and hateful he is. Right from the very beginning until the very last page, this book was just beautiful, though one feels uncomfortable and disgusting throughout most of it. 

Sometimes a tad slow, but that’s more so an indictment of my attention span and less so of one on the book itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Car accident and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

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

bearwhocanreadbecauseofmagic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

I read this book because I wanted to know how such a strong focus on maybe the most taboo subject of our time could be a classic. I understand why now.

The brutal look into the mind of the Humbert Humbert was chilling, funny, tragic, and so horrendously uninhibited that it was difficult to not be sucked in when dressed in some of the best prose I’ve read.

Don’t expect to walk away from this read feeling like sunshine. Naturally, it is a very disturbing book, but it is also intoxicating and beautiful and deserves its place.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Gun violence and Violence

Minor: Racism

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