A review by linenandliterature
Being Lolita: A Memoir, by Alisson Wood
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
what a book.
in this raw and vulnerable memoir, alisson wood describes not only her relationship with being groomed by her english-teacher as a highschool student but also the ways he used the reoccurring literary motive of lolita throughout their relationship to manipulate her into thinking that what she indured was a lovestory and not abuse.
she deeply analyses the effects, parallels and dangers of misinterpretation regarding nabokovs 'real' literary lolita, that more often than not show an uncomfortable parallel to her own history and has too often been misused to shift the blame and justify predatory behavior and abuse instead of acting as the cautionary tale it actually should be read as.
i listened to this on audible once again (i am really getting a little too obsessed) and i loved how the author read the book herself, at times it made me feel like listening to an old friend, sharing her formative past with a cup of coffee on hand.
raw, vulnerable, shocking, eyeopening - an absolute masterpiece and the biggest recommendation!
»that in order to be attractive, irresistible, to be worthy of notice, was to be both beautiful and in open need, to be damaged. the perfect artistry of pretty and pain. nabokov wrote that beauty plus pity is the closest we can get to art.«
»yes, 'lolita' is beautiful. but yes, it's also terrible. we can hold both in our hands.«
in this raw and vulnerable memoir, alisson wood describes not only her relationship with being groomed by her english-teacher as a highschool student but also the ways he used the reoccurring literary motive of lolita throughout their relationship to manipulate her into thinking that what she indured was a lovestory and not abuse.
she deeply analyses the effects, parallels and dangers of misinterpretation regarding nabokovs 'real' literary lolita, that more often than not show an uncomfortable parallel to her own history and has too often been misused to shift the blame and justify predatory behavior and abuse instead of acting as the cautionary tale it actually should be read as.
i listened to this on audible once again (i am really getting a little too obsessed) and i loved how the author read the book herself, at times it made me feel like listening to an old friend, sharing her formative past with a cup of coffee on hand.
raw, vulnerable, shocking, eyeopening - an absolute masterpiece and the biggest recommendation!
»that in order to be attractive, irresistible, to be worthy of notice, was to be both beautiful and in open need, to be damaged. the perfect artistry of pretty and pain. nabokov wrote that beauty plus pity is the closest we can get to art.«
»yes, 'lolita' is beautiful. but yes, it's also terrible. we can hold both in our hands.«
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Self harm, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Suicide