A review by mary_do_12
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

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

4.0

i need to start this off by saying that nabokov is insanely talented and i wish i had just a sliver of his skill.

now, of course, lolita is a very controversial book, reasonably so.
i personally found myself immersed in the story and hooked to the characters. there is no denying that this book is disgusting and gross and disturbing. but if nabokov manages to make me feel these emotions, that means that his writing is impeccable. naturally, you have to look at his work critically and in doing so, i myself found lolita to be even more impressive.
i can say that i’ve been inside the mind of a pedophile and i would dare say that that has contributed to my broad life experience and feeling of sympathy and understanding of the world as a whole.
if i were to stand face to face with humbert humbert though, i would not hesitate a second to knock his guts out.

the reason i gave lolita four and not five stars is solely because i feel that towards the end, the book lost a bit of its pace, and with it, me. i found myself skimming along passages ever so often because i just wasn’t as attached to the story as much as i was in the first half.
still a great book, i would recommend it to absolutely nobody.
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