Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

98 reviews

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

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Stalking

Moderate: Incest, Rape, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Racism

river69rat'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

4.25

Probably one of the hardest books to digest and then rate. Deeply disturbing, but a brilliant portrayal of the deluded mind of a disgusting man. Reading this after reading My Dark Vanessa last year creates an additional layer of almost being able to see Lolita's perspective. The amount of people who lack reading comprehension for this book to be commonly known as a romance is crazy to me also!! Anyway, fantastic book whilst also sitting in a deeply uncomfortable space.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gun violence and Rape

halaagmod's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, Car accident, and Pregnancy

dakotahreads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder

emmablue's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Incest, and Car accident

kleinerdiktator's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

chaya_v's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

Horrifying content but form is brilliant. When looking at the writing only this is a masterpiece. But the content makes it impossible for me to rate this higher. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape

nisha_111's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

sleepyriv's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis