Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

14 reviews

manybees's review against another edition

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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Despite its reputation I found it more sad than disturbing. Dolly Haze is probably one of my favourite characters in all of literature. I’m gonna be thinking about this one for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Trafficking, and Incest

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Confinement, Classism, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Death

Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs

There is only one abuse scene that could be considered sexually explicit and it is written in such an abstracted and poetic way that it’s almost kinda hard to tell what’s going on. There is also period-typical racism and racial slurs.

bluelightbeam's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

I imagine this is the type of novel you could read over and over again, discovering new details each time. However, I will not be doing that. At least not any time soon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Car accident, Pedophilia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Child death

taelights'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

4.0

I was honestly a bit worried going into this book because I have seen people in the past have bad takes on this book saying it's a love story or that it romanticizes pedophilia or that it's suppose to make you sympathize with a pedophile. But this is also a book that I've always been morbidly curious about and wanted to form my own opinion of so I decided to give it a try. 

Now I honestly think anyone who believes this book romanticizes pedophilia is either 1) fucked up, 2) has not read the book and is making assumptions, or 3) doesn't have an ounce of critical thinking skills and no ability to analyze a book. You can tell that Nabokov doesn't agree with Humbert's character or actions. 

Honestly this book was lowkey kind of a masterpiece. Vladimir Nabokov's writing style is beautiful and this is such a good genius example of an unreliable narrator story. The subject matter was of course disgusting and so many lines made me feel nauseated but it was such an interesting read. I kind of want to read it through again in the future to better analyze the book now that I have a picture of the whole story arch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

margaritium's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

I liked the book, hated the narrator (as everyone should to a pedophile). The unreliable narraatorn has a very twisted mind , I was disgusted by him which  shows how well the author has made the character to arouse such strong feelings fromt the readers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Stalking, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

kristenhuck'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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Violence, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child death, Car accident, Incest, Death of parent, and Murder

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

The descriptions of pedophilia were revolting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Child death

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I read "My Dark Vanessa" a few years ago and I really loved it, so I was curious to pick up this classic version of the story. "Lolita" follows a man named Humbert, who from a young age realized he was attracted to young girls. Humbert finds himself, a full-grown man, attracted to his stepdaughter, Dolores Haze, who he believes is the perfect nymphet. "Lolita" is told in Humbert's perspective as he writes a letter to explain himself and try to justify his actions.
I was not expecting to enjoy this story as much as I did. When a book tries to tackle such sensitive content matter, it is often hard to do so well. It is also difficult as a reader to separate the book from the main character. Humbert is highly unlikable, and as a reader, you are outraged that he is preying on young girls and trying to seduce them. Humbert is also willing to do almost anything to have his perfect nymphet, even murder. At every turn Humbert makes poor choices and your heart goes out to Dolores. She is so young and at such an impressionable age, you feel like Humbert is robbing her of her innocence. With all of that said, I could not put this book down. I was fascinated to be in the mind of such a depraved man. He knows he should not want this, but he cannot stop in his pursuit.
I do not necessarily recommend this book because of its content matter, but I am so happy I read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content

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

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

Moderate: Body shaming and Sexism

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

spoookycat'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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Death of parent, Gun violence, Gore, and Murder

Minor: Child death and Car accident