Lolita (original 1955; edition 2005)

A great book about something we are not supposed to talk about, but Nabokov did a great job writing in such a style. ( )

Lolita used English better than just about anyone I've ever read, and it wasn't even his first or second language. His prose is three simultaneous games of chess with eyes closed; brain surgery with a chainsaw juggler's flourish. In the 1950's he wrote a book about paedophilia and incest that also happens to be a roaring page-turner and managed to ruin a lovely girl's name: it's about as likely that anyone in the English-speaking world will call their daughter Lolita as they will name their son Adolf. Hemingway counted on you to fill in the spaces left by unnecessary words. Nabokov used the unnecessary words to show you just how dull you are compared to him. ( )

Nabokov was one brave man to publish this account of a pedophile's pursuit of the daughter of his landlord who later becomes his wife, which made his underaged lover his adopted daughter. It's no-holds-barred (but never vulgar) account of the diabolical scheming of Humbert Humbert to get his prey, Dolores Haze, in a situation where he can take full advantage. Of course, Nabokov brilliantly turns the tables on good ol' Humbert in that innocent little Dolores is not quite so innocent. By turn titillating, shocking (even today), hilarious, and downright sad, this is a great book in every way I can think of except for character development. Nabokov was obviously a brilliant man, but I think he was more interested in probing the deepest fears and desires of men through Humbert that he was is setting up the characters to give them particular motives for their actions. It was as if primal desire was all he needed to tell the story.

Jeremy Irons does a wonderful job of narrating the audiobook version that I listened to. ( )

I read Lolita for Banned Books Week. Of all the books I own, Lolita has been banned in the most countries so I really thought I was going to read the dirtiest book ever written. {fingers crossed}

Would you believe the sex scenes are not even described?! (thankfully!-let's be real) There is more sex in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon than Lolita! (Ok, there is more sex in Outlander than any book I've read to date.) I think the real reason it is banned in so many countries is because...at some point in the story you begin rooting for Humbert Humbert, the dirty 30-something man! You actually begin hoping he can make things work with Lolita. Yes, this books turns you into a pervert.

It is very well written and chock-full of big words, including French ones. Reading it is an education. ( )

I did not care for the subject material, yet after reading the final notes by the author it put the novel in a different light. For that, I'll not subject Lolita to my prejudices and instead take a step back with a more critical eye to the style and prose. Hence, it's saving grace. ( )

Audible audio-book, read by Jeremy Irons

This is definitely a love or hate book and I loved it. The subject matter is vile and Humbert is a selfish, vain and nasty, nasty character. But we get to see him suffer for his crimes. And I think that is the point. He really suffers!

I cannot say I liked any of the characters, the victim, Lolita, is manipulative and self-centered, and not because of Humbert, she was always headed that way. Her Mother Charlotte was just as bad.

The writing was superlative; I enjoyed every word of the narration and Jeremy Irons read beautifully, capturing the emotion, the wit and, at times desperation.

This book is definitely not for everyone! ( )

What makes this novel so horrifying isn't the narrator, because we've had authors write horribel narrators and not get across how horrible they were, but Dolores. Because Dolores is such a realistic little girl. You read it and see yourself as a little girl. That's how Nabokov got it across, by making Dolores come through as true despite Humbert's delusions. It's amazing. ( )

the greatest love story ever told

קריאה שלישית. פעם ראשונה אתה קורה בשביל המין והסנס​ציה, פעם שניה כדי ליהנות מהשפה והאירוניה. בקריאה ה​שלישית אתה מבין איזה ספר דוחה ונורא הספר הזה. כמה ​טרגי וחסר תקווה מצבם של שני הגיבורים. האמת אינני מ​בין מה היה בראש של נבוקוב כשהוא כתב את הספר הזה. א​ם זה משל, מה הנמשל? אם זה לא משל אז למה? ועל מה? י​ ( )

After putting down "Lolita," I still find myself turning it over and over in my head, trying to get at what was behind Nabokov's tale of pedophilia and betrayal. Clearly it is allegory, but for what, I have not yet decided, and it also can be understood at its surface level and still make a profound statement. I think I'll leave a deeper foray into those matters for my second, third, fourth, and fifth readings of this book, for I am sure I will revisit this work of art time and again.
Nabokov's prose is some of the most decadent, opulent stuff I have encountered. It is of the rose and diamond dripping, waterfall spraying, aurora borealis variety. There were several multiple-page passages describing travels through America which were so utterly beautiful that I reread them a second or third time before moving on.
Humbert Humbert is one of the most effective monsters in literature, because "Lolita" is his platform, and he gets the entire span of the book to strive for and gain our sympathy despite the fact that we know how terrible a villain he is. He is torn between his desire to consume Lolita, and to possess her, but once something is utterly consumed, is there anything left to possess? This book is obviously a classic, one that should be read at least once by everyone (of appropriate age, of course). ( )

I listened to this narrated by Jeremy Irons. Don't think I could have read the book because the language is very elaborate and meaningful, and I would have missed much of the nuance if not for Irons' wonderful and convincing emotion. The story was much more interesting than I had anticipated. ( )

The writing in this book was exquisite (I usually don't use this word). I can't believe that English wasn't his first language, because of the extensive wordplay. I enjoyed reading it, but by the final 1/4 of the book, I wanted it to end. I liked Nabokov's own commentary on the book and its reviews. ( )

Mini Book Review: This was a constant struggle for me to get through. I basically would read a chapter a day and that was about all I could handle. It is extremely well written and Nabokov had a brilliant way of describing even the littlest thing so well that you could close your eyes and see it. It is also a book that can lead to some passionate discussions. That being said, I truly did not like it. The characters were reprehensible, the subject matter depressing and icky and it just went on and on. As with most classics there is detailed character development and flowery descriptions which are not to my particular tastes. I like a good story, makes me less of an intellect I know, but I am not going to be something I am obviously not. At least I can say I read it and can discuss it in greater detail -- but I can guarantee you I will not be reading it again.

1.5 Dewey's (Based on my enjoyment of it NOT the talents of the author)

I read this because it was part of my BBC Top 100 Challenge. I borrowed this copy from Sheridan College (Through Inter-library Loan -- Love my job). Guys one of these days I am buying you a new copy - this copy was published in 1970 -- and so was I - and like me its old and not in the best of shape ( )

Disturbingly beautiful, Nabokov creates timeless poetry out of cruelty, narcisissum, deviancy and loss of innocence. Humbert's abashed love seems no more deniable than Charlotte's bold-faced lust, while you second-guess yourself and your morals for the sympathy you afford a monster. Nabokov's genius results in a comical, intellectual and emotive love story. In contrast, Humbert is a pathetic predator, his behaviour deplorable and his actions, unforgivable. Amid the selfishness and chaos lies the truely unjust solace bestowed upon an inncoent child made animal, object, nymphet. Tragically bewitching.

www.booksnakereviews.blogspot.com

Disturbingly beautiful, Nabokov creates timeless poetry out of cruelty, narcisissum, deviancy and loss of innocence. Humbert's abashed love seems no more deniable than Charlotte's bold-faced lust, while you second-guess yourself and your morals for the sympathy you afford a monster. Nabokov's genius results in a comical, intellectual and emotive love story. In contrast, Humbert is a pathetic predator, his behaviour deplorable and his actions, unforgivable. Amid the selfishness and chaos lies the truely unjust solace bestowed upon an inncoent child made animal, object, nymphet. Tragically bewitching.

www.booksnakereviews.blogspot.com

Disturbingly beautiful, Nabokov creates timeless poetry out of cruelty, narcisissum, deviancy and loss of innocence. Humbert's abashed love seems no more deniable than Charlotte's bold-faced lust, while you second-guess yourself and your morals for the sympathy you afford a monster. Nabokov's genius results in a comical, intellectual and emotive love story. In contrast, Humbert is a pathetic predator, his behaviour deplorable and his actions, unforgivable. Amid the selfishness and chaos lies the truely unjust solace bestowed upon an inncoent child made animal, object, nymphet. Tragically bewitching.

www.booksnakereviews.blogspot.com

A love story? A thriller? The deranged rantings of a vicious paedophile? All of the above, really. The road trip can drag, but this is (obviously) a darkly comic classic. ( )

It's impossible to read this book without the weight of its reputation preceding it, but the book lives up to every bit of the hype. Lolita is indeed a beautiful book about a horrible, disgusting subject.

Everyone knows the plotline of the middle-aged pervert and his obsessive relationship with his nominal stepdaughter, described as a 12-year-old far-from-innocent "nymphet." The story is told entirely from the point of view of Humbert Humbert, an unreliable narrator if there ever was one. Humbert seems a prescient protagonist for the internet age -- he has vast pretensions to class and sophistication, spends most of his time adamantly defending his own terrible conduct, and can be devastatingly snarky about the clueless Americans he encounters. His takedowns of their suburban lives and morals are hilarious -- until you realize that you are sympathizing with a pervert in his attempts to con them into believing that he is an intellectual and loving parent so he can go on raping a child.

Some people call this book a love story, but it most definitely is not. Nabokov deliberately keeps the character of Lolita uncertain, because Humbert has no concern for her as a person. Humbert rhapsodizes endlessly about her physical body, but at several points even he has to admit that he has no idea of what goes on in her head, and not much interest in finding out. Lolita is not portrayed as an innocent victim, but despite her childish defiance and Humbert's self-justifications, her helplessness in the face of the men who use her comes through loud and clear. It's a refreshing corrective to those who insist that female beauty and sex appeal are necessarily liberating powers.

Nabokov's prose is very dense, with frequent segues into foreign languages, allusions to history, etc. Some of these were obscure to me, and I would like to read the annotated version sometime, as I am sure that every word of this book was carefully chosen by its author. The descriptive passages about Lolita are lush and lyrically beautiful, but describe an abomination. Nabokov never forgets this for a moment.

Don't let the subject matter put you off -- this is a wonderfully written, and in the end very moral, book that both tells a heartbreakingly tragic story and shows how powerful and effective writing can be. ( )

Humbert Humbert is madly, obsessively, in love. The only problem the object of his lust, his affections, is what he calls a nymphet, which is precisely a girl who is pre-pubescent - Dolores Haze. There is that magical age where the little girl retains all the innocence of a child but hovering, lingering upon the cusp of womanhood that drives poor Humbert insane, and insane he is.

I didn't get it. I don't think I wanted to get this book. The whole story felt like one perverted man's manifesto about how right he thought it was to get into bed with little girls. I don't understand how this is considered a love story since men have and should go to jail for trespasses for what could only be called abduction and statutory rape. What is worse then the offensive nature of the perpetrator is the fact that I had no remorse for Dolores whatsoever who was equally if not more manipulative than the man who should be her father. My biggest problem now - what to do with a book that I don't want to reshelve and yet cannot on good conscience recommend this any other person to read. I don't believe in book burning, but, oh the temptation... ( )

So many reviews have been written before, that do better justice to this great novel, but I still need to write out my thoughts for at least myself.

Beautifully written in prose that will capture your mind in circles of creative pleasure. Characters that confound you with their depth. A plot that twists about, with ventures you wouldn't foresee. Comedic situations that will both horrify and leave you in laughter.

The story is written as a "memoir" of Humbert Humbert, and his life of love for nymphets, especially that of Lolita /Delores. Humbert is a despicable, self centered pedophile that struggles throughout the novel with his love for Lolita, his lust for her, and his desire to protect her from evil in the world. I couldn't help but see his desire for the young innocent child as some sort of escape into an idealistic youthful vision. He knows it is wrong, despises himself, but still cannot find the way out of his predicament.

Not an easy book to dismiss. I don't think it is in anyway a defense or promotion of pedophilia. In many ways, it is just the opposite. Nabokov also looks at the idealistic society of 1940's American culture with a biting derision.

Go past the subject and read the book. It took me many years to finally tackle it, and I am glad I did. There is a reason why it is at the top of every list for greatest books of the 20th century. ( )

Took me a long time to read, as the story would often overwhelm me and I had to set it aside temporarily. Tragically disturbing, last paragraphe made me cry. Shh. ( )

I get the feeling that the reason this book got refused by every publisher in the US was not the plot, nor the characters. No, it was rejected because the prose was horrid, is horrid, will always be horrid. When a writer switches from first person to third person and back to first person, its difficult to read. If the book burners had just let it alone, let it fester on a back shelf, it would have died its slow death. Instead, they brought attention ti the horror and allowed it to continue to live. In the author's note at the end of the book, the writer admits that this was his first novel written in English. It felt like it.

I can point to this as an example of very poor text. ( )

One of my favorite books of all time. Nabokov is a master of words, everything he writes turns out beautiful and vivid. Unfortunately, like others have said, around the second part of the book it does get a bit drawn out. I still go back to re-read this book every so often, which is quite rare for me. ( )

I felt the second half of Lolita was a bit drawn out and too long, but overall the writing is beautiful and Nabokov paints a picture of an absolutely abhor-able man. ( )

I know a lot of people love this as a classic but I struggled a great deal. While I can absolutely appreciate the literature and language I was constantly disturbed and found the feelings the words were trying to conjur felt wrong and distasteful. While I also appreciate and understand that is the theme and message of the book I could not enjoy it. ( )