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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.
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.
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
michachi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
I felt a lot of different things and I didn’t expect pity for a pedophile to be one of them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Pregnancy
lilianmathilda's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
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.
Worth the read I just had to take occasional breaks because I got too angry.
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
andrewfischerr19's review against another edition
challenging
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
5.0
Wow. I just went into this book knowing that Kubrick adapted it (haven't watched it yet, but planning to). It was very intriguing seeing how Nabokov wrote in the perspective of an abuser, and I found that my favorite parts where Humbert scoffs and spits in your face for assuming the right thing. the character manipulates you and you often catch yourself saying "wait a second, I know what you're doing." Overall, Lolita is beautifully written and if you can handle the subject matter I heavily recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
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!!!
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!!!
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
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.
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.
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.
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
gvstyris's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
I need you, the reader, to imagine us, for we don’t really exist if you don’t.
There’s no doubt that Nabokov’s Lolita is a timeless classic, and I finally understand why. Primarily, the prose is gorgeous. I’ve never been so in awe of an author’s writing style and paused repeatedly to jot down quotes or dog-ear pages. Nabokov’s manipulation of narration (and the strength of Humbert Humbert’s personal voice) is similarly masterful, and I was struck by how fundamental the novel’s foreword is to understanding the story. It must also be noted that Humbert Humbert is a well-crafted, terrifying character whose gaze aptly reflects our society’s obsession with young girls, a messaging still of undeniable relevance in the 21st century.
Before reading, I was both fascinated by Lolita’s cultural impact and confused by the purpose of such a novel. It seemed perplexing that an author would want to tell such a viscerally uncomfortable story, and it’s a question I couldn’t properly answer until reading Nabokov’s afterword. He argues that “I am neither a reader nor writer of didactic fiction, and, despite John Ray’s assertion, Lolita has no moral in tow.” Instead, its purpose is realism, a cautionary tale that stands the test of time because of how it is continually misconstrued by paedophiles and victims alike. I’m glad to have finally read it and will be thinking about its cultural relevance for a long time.
I’ve (pretty superficially) knocked half a star off for the verbose descriptions. Humbert Humbert’s excessive ramblings while traipsing the country with Lo were unnecessary and arguably detrimental to the flow of the narrative.
Overall a powerful read, and I highly recommend giving it a shot if you’re in the right mental place. Definitely look up the content warnings, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Stalking
Moderate: Incest, Rape, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Racism
ellisy's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Lolita, that highly controversial novel that set a before and after not only in American literature, but in modern culture as a whole. That love letter to monstrous indulgence, the attempt of a psychopath to redeem his soul and make his and his victim's lives one inmortal story. As he said "I am thinking of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, prophetic sonnets, the refuge of art. And this is the only immortality you and I may share, my Lolita".
Maybe one of the most remarcable things about this story is the way it's told. We are warned at the beginning of what this text really is: a confession and desperate attempt of a criminal to save himself. One that "should make all of us apply ourselves with still greater vigilance and vision to the task of bringing up a better generation in a safer world". Its narrator, a pedophile that both tries to trick you into beeling his side of the story and recognizes what he's done, one you cannot fully believe since he himself said that "I have camouflaged what I could so as not to hurt people". Which he does in the most poetical kind of way, almost convincing you for some bits until you get to the most sordid parts and comments, that reminds you of what he really is.
Something really interesting about him is the juxtaposition between the romantic and the monster, between "concupiscent co-operation (or the illusion of it) to dirty old man, from romance to self-revolution, from reciprocation to the sordid solipsism of sperm on the hand. Nabokov's subject and Humbert's affliction is the discrepancy between the dizzy desire and the dingy thruth". As Humbert said "Despite the horrible hopelessness of it all, I still dwelled deep in my elected paradise—a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames—bit still a paradise". And as well recognized later on, "I loved you. I was a pentapod monster, but I loved you. I was despicable and brutal, and turpid, and everything, mais je t'aimais, je t'aimais! And there were times when I knew how you felt, and it was hell to know it, my little one. Lolita girl, brave Dolly Schiller". He knew that he was hurting her, but he kept on, he knew that he was monstrous, but he kept on, and this would have never ended, if Dolores wouldn't have scaped.
Maybe that's why that's one of the most heartbreaking parts of the story. The criminal knew how sordidly he had ruined Dolores's live, but he kept on, telling himself that he loved her. He used this little child until she bled, he knew she hated him, and still tried to make himself and us believe that he was the misunderstood poet, the victim somehow. But still he doesn't lay flat, he is not just "the bad guy" he's a monster, but he has dimensions, a story to tell after and before, some humanness in him that still makes us feel sorry somehow, even if after we still feel sick of what he's done.
Lolita is a terrifying story, in which not only a child was kidnapped but failed by the system that was supposed to protect her, by the people around them who had to have suspission that something was off, and even by the legacy it left, since Lolita became both a sexual figure and a "romance" story, with people commenting on the novel as "a record of Nabokov's love affair with the romantic novel". For me, it's the confession of a monstrous passion from the point of view of the aggressor, one that's written trying to cover what happened and you still see through the lies, one with multidimensional characters and story that fills you with rage, disgust and helplessness, and a narrative that tries to trick you. And for that, it's a masterpiece of the English language, a gem that's hard to look at, but you still should, a classic of American literature.
Maybe one of the most remarcable things about this story is the way it's told. We are warned at the beginning of what this text really is: a confession and desperate attempt of a criminal to save himself. One that "should make all of us apply ourselves with still greater vigilance and vision to the task of bringing up a better generation in a safer world". Its narrator, a pedophile that both tries to trick you into beeling his side of the story and recognizes what he's done, one you cannot fully believe since he himself said that "I have camouflaged what I could so as not to hurt people". Which he does in the most poetical kind of way, almost convincing you for some bits until you get to the most sordid parts and comments, that reminds you of what he really is.
Something really interesting about him is the juxtaposition between the romantic and the monster, between "concupiscent co-operation (or the illusion of it) to dirty old man, from romance to self-revolution, from reciprocation to the sordid solipsism of sperm on the hand. Nabokov's subject and Humbert's affliction is the discrepancy between the dizzy desire and the dingy thruth". As Humbert said "Despite the horrible hopelessness of it all, I still dwelled deep in my elected paradise—a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames—bit still a paradise". And as well recognized later on, "I loved you. I was a pentapod monster, but I loved you. I was despicable and brutal, and turpid, and everything, mais je t'aimais, je t'aimais! And there were times when I knew how you felt, and it was hell to know it, my little one. Lolita girl, brave Dolly Schiller". He knew that he was hurting her, but he kept on, he knew that he was monstrous, but he kept on, and this would have never ended, if Dolores wouldn't have scaped.
Maybe that's why that's one of the most heartbreaking parts of the story. The criminal knew how sordidly he had ruined Dolores's live, but he kept on, telling himself that he loved her. He used this little child until she bled, he knew she hated him, and still tried to make himself and us believe that he was the misunderstood poet, the victim somehow. But still he doesn't lay flat, he is not just "the bad guy" he's a monster, but he has dimensions, a story to tell after and before, some humanness in him that still makes us feel sorry somehow, even if after we still feel sick of what he's done.
Lolita is a terrifying story, in which not only a child was kidnapped but failed by the system that was supposed to protect her, by the people around them who had to have suspission that something was off, and even by the legacy it left, since Lolita became both a sexual figure and a "romance" story, with people commenting on the novel as "a record of Nabokov's love affair with the romantic novel". For me, it's the confession of a monstrous passion from the point of view of the aggressor, one that's written trying to cover what happened and you still see through the lies, one with multidimensional characters and story that fills you with rage, disgust and helplessness, and a narrative that tries to trick you. And for that, it's a masterpiece of the English language, a gem that's hard to look at, but you still should, a classic of American literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy