Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

72 reviews

rayne_1906's review against another edition

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

4.25

5 hours 9 minutes - I normally find classic books incredibly hard to read, but oddly I didn't have much trouble in that regard with this book. It is artfully written in such a way that you are disgusted with the actions and thoughts of Humbert Humbert, and yet driven to continue reading darkly fascinated by the twisted way his mind works and his calm justifications for his desires, and the way he spirals into paranoia and panic. It is definitely one of those books that you hate the content but love the execution. A difficult, challenging read but one I'm glad I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Death of parent

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: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

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

serving_goffman's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

5.0

while difficult to read and more difficult to stomach, this is probably one of the best written books i’ve ever read, and the thought that english was nabokov‘s second language is astonishing and humbling to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Stalking

Moderate: Death of parent and Murder

salome_veils's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

_jane4's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.75

I greatly written book from a perspective of a pedophile. Is a bit slow and boring in some parts but really tense and dark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

stoleyourfoodinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Stalking

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest 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, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

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

Minor: Child death and Forced institutionalization

ladylovestead's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

Lolita is such an ubiquitous story that I think most of us know what it is about without having to read it. That being said, if you can handle the content, you absolutely should read it. This book has so many layers and nuances including bits of humor. I know that Nabokov is often criticized for "glorifying" pedophilia, but I think if you read this book carefully, you'll understand that he's actually doing quite the opposite. He is pointing out the ways pedophilia happen, what goes on in a predator's head to justify their behavior to themselves, why this is so dangerous, and why it is so abhorrent. I did think the story meandered a bit in the last third, but overall, I was captivated and really appreciate this book.  

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent

imgoen's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

bill369'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

3.75

I and my dear friend have read Lolita together.

I don't have a favourite character and I suppose it wasn't the author's intention for the reader to like the main characters. He did that well. I do dislike both Humbert Humbert and Dollores.

For me, this book was rather boring. Sure the plot was interesting in a way however not gripping enough. Reading this book even felt like a chore at a time. Except for the marvellous writing, there's nothing to highlight. And for the writing and the writing only, this book gets the rating it gets.

Page 300, made up predestined destiny.

 

I have often noticed that we are inclined to endow our friends with the stability of type that literary characters acquire in the reader’s mind. No matter how many times we reopen “King Lear,” never shall we find the good king banging his tankard in high revelry, all woes forgotten, at a jolly reunion with all three daughters and their lapdogs. Never will Emma rally, revived by the sympathetic salts in Flaubert’s father’s timely tear. Whatever evolution this or that popular character has gone through between the book covers, his fate is fixed in our minds, and, similarly, we expect our friends to follow this or that logical and conventional pattern we have fixed for them. Thus X will never compose the immortal music that would clash with the second-rate symphonies he has accustomed us to. Y will never commit murder. Under no circumstances can Z ever betray us. We have it all arranged in our minds, and the less often we see a particular person the more satisfying it is to check how obediently he conforms to our notion of him every time we hear of him. Any deviation in the fates we have ordained would strike us as not only anomalous but unethical. We would prefer not to have known at all our neighbour, the retired hot-dog stand operator, if it turns out he has just produced the greatest book of poetry his age has seen.

 

The end of the book was one of the better parts. I did enjoy it.

Overall, I'm glad I read the book. The writing is amazing despite the story being unappealing to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming and Sexism

Minor: Child death, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol