A review by amyg88
The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman
2.0
I love a great genre mash up, but if you’re looking for a perfect mix of true crime and literary criticism, this book isn’t it. The writing is compelling, if not sensationalistic, as true crime tends to be, but the implication that Nabokov somehow exacerbated the crime against Sally Horner is hyperbolic at best, and certainly not sound literary criticism.
Are authors affected by the stories and culture around them? Of course. They are human beings living in the world. Is a true story of the kidnapping and abuse of an 11 year old grist for great fiction? It is when it is indicative of larger societal trends that see the bodies of women and children commodified and "owned" by those, often older men, who hold power over them.
The fact that for years many readers have been seduced into believing Humbert Humbert and his lies rather than noticing Dolores and her pain says much more about how we as a society view the power play between victims of sexual assault and their rapists than about Nabokov and his ability to read the news. The story of Sally Horner is sad. So is the story in Lolita. If the author of this book had spent more time exploring the social norms Nabokov is exposing instead of looking to "kill the messenger," she would have created a more compelling argument.
Are authors affected by the stories and culture around them? Of course. They are human beings living in the world. Is a true story of the kidnapping and abuse of an 11 year old grist for great fiction? It is when it is indicative of larger societal trends that see the bodies of women and children commodified and "owned" by those, often older men, who hold power over them.
The fact that for years many readers have been seduced into believing Humbert Humbert and his lies rather than noticing Dolores and her pain says much more about how we as a society view the power play between victims of sexual assault and their rapists than about Nabokov and his ability to read the news. The story of Sally Horner is sad. So is the story in Lolita. If the author of this book had spent more time exploring the social norms Nabokov is exposing instead of looking to "kill the messenger," she would have created a more compelling argument.