A review by herathecat
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

challenging 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

2.0

This is first book I've read which I've had the urge to burn after reading.  And perhaps that shows that the author achieved what he set out to do.  The whole book just made me feel really uncomfortable and disgusted.  I read it quickly to get it over with and to finally see the whole miserable story end and
learn how Lolita finally gets away from Humbert.
  Like someone else said in their review, there is nothing enjoyable about reading this.  A lot of people have spoken about Nabokov's prose, but for me it felt jarring to see him describe landscapes in poetic language after talking about the pleasure he takes in statutory rape.  I also found his writing a bit flowery for my tastes, and I skimmed over passages that had no real purpose. I gave it a 2 because it is objectively well-written, but it took me to a place I never want to go again, and into the mind of a character I never wanted to go in the first place.  I read it because it's a classic, and I assumed it would have some redeeming value, but it just made me want to bleach my brain afterwards to get rid of any memory of this protagonist.
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