Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

445 reviews

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

roisin_marie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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

It's a tough read, but it's easier in the second half, and you start to enjoy the experience without constant nausea. Worth the pain

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Death of parent

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.

tnhelsel's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.5

I struggled how to rate this book for awhile. Obviously, the main character is a horrible person. It was interesting to read the perspective of someone that horrible--kind of like a psychological case study--and consider his warped reasoning and ridiculous justifications. Additionally, this book is a great example of an unreliable narrator...

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Incest and Kidnapping

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

elizbitt's review against another edition

dark 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

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Content Warnings

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

annie_brewer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

herathecat's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

This is first book I've read which I've had the urge to burn after reading.  And perhaps that shows that the author achieved what he set out to do.  The whole book just made me feel really uncomfortable and disgusted.  I read it quickly to get it over with and to finally see the whole miserable story end and

learn how Lolita finally gets away from Humbert.

  Like someone else said in their review, there is nothing enjoyable about reading this.  A lot of people have spoken about Nabokov's prose, but for me it felt jarring to see him describe landscapes in poetic language after talking about the pleasure he takes in statutory rape.  I also found his writing a bit flowery for my tastes, and I skimmed over passages that had no real purpose. I gave it a 2 because it is objectively well-written, but it took me to a place I never want to go again, and into the mind of a character I never wanted to go in the first place.  I read it because it's a classic, and I assumed it would have some redeeming value, but it just made me want to bleach my brain afterwards to get rid of any memory of this protagonist.

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Content Warnings

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

phoebefiloramo's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

operaghost7's review against another edition

This book was too hard of a read in the sense of the very dark and evil subject it covered. I didn’t enjoy reading it, only made me hate some aspects of humanity more.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

It’s goes heavy into the thoughts of the groomer and his sexual fantasies. Overall extremely uncomfortable to read and makes me angry.