It's quite clear to me why many people decide never to read this book once they learn what it’s about or give up after the first few chapters.
This is the disturbing confession of Humbert Humbert as he waits for his trial in prison, detailing his obsession and abuse of twelve-year-old Lolita (real name Dolores). I should mention right away that there are no explicit scenes in the novel, nor is it intended to be such – but through Humbert's subtle descriptions, we create a picture of the grim fate that has befallen the girl.
"...and her sobs in the night—every night, every night—the moment I feigned sleep."
Humbert is an unreliable narrator, and what he tells us through his recollections cannot be taken at face value. He is a master manipulator, managing to deceive everyone around him by fabricating events and misleading traces, planning several steps ahead. He attempts to deceive the reader as well. He knows his actions are monstrous, yet he has many moments when he tries to justify himself – he is aware that he is a weakling who cannot control his base impulses and that his case deserves to be analyzed in psychiatric textbooks, but he will try to convince the reader that he is seduced and naive in all of this (In most book blurbs it's described as love story?!) If the reader feels a tinge of sympathy at some point, it vanishes with each following page as Humbert becomes more vicious and daring. And little Lolita, whose childish innocence is exploited and manipulated, faces a life devoid of joy, desire, and the beautiful experiences that make up childhood.
So, why is it still worth reading Lolita? Because it is shockingly well-written, which makes the disturbing story easier to digest. It has no moral purpose according to the author's words – it was created purely for aesthetic reasons. Nabokov was aware of the repulsiveness of the theme, and thus the execution had to be flawless.
The writing is poetic, lyrical, seductive, unusual, non-linear, and brilliant. Every word is thoughtfully chosen. Nabokov is a master of language. Although he wrote this book in English, which is not his native language, his skill with wordplay is still evident in the novel. It is rich with references to other authors (Humbert tries to justify himself by bringing up examples of Poe, Dante...), anagrams, clues, neologisms, the names of people and places are fictitiously descriptive, and French phrases are frequently inserted throughout the text. The annotated edition I read helped me follow some references (I simultaneously listened to the English audio version read by Jeremy Irons), but I am sure many passed me by on the first reading. You might even find it a bit pretentious, like trying to show intellectual superiority.
A lot of the plot happens on the road across America and in hotels so it has elements of travelogue. This is also a parody and a simultaneous critique of popular culture, Hollywood, the pursuit of the American dream, and a grotesque system that says one thing and does another.
In any case, it is essential to differentiate between the author and the narrator. Nabokov never tries to justify the actions of the monstrous Humbert and clearly lets us know that he is not a trustworthy narrator. How he was able to portray such a detailed picture of a perverted mind is a different question, we'll give it to his creative storytelling genius.
If the theme seems too disturbing to get into, then by all means, avoid this title, at least for a while. Otherwise, prepare for a difficult story written in an exceptional style (in my opinion, it could have been 50-100 pages shorter) that will continue to shock the readers simultaneously with its excellence and repulsiveness.
“I need you, the reader, to imagine us, for we don't really exist if you don't.”
4/5 stars
I still haven't got the gut to read this novel 🥲
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It's not necessary to read, there are many great, non-disturbing novels out there. :) There are some literary qualities in this piece though.
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BEER.Sounds like something I want to read, always been a fan of such poetic description, I will love to see through the eyes of Humbert and understand what exactly transpired and motivated him to do what he did, to me understand his thinking might be of great help to understanding the mind.
Thanks for sharing definitely going to make time for this, this year I'm glad for this review it has a 4/5 it's definitely on my list.
Usually with this type of novels, you don't get to figure out the actual motives that led to such behavior (people are either born damaged or get there through some trauma), but you'll get to see how their twisted mind operates. It's freaky.
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I agree that the quality of the writing is exceptional, with language rich in references, puns and details that require close reading. It is as if Nabokov is challenging us to face the duality of being attracted to the beauty of the text, while morally rejecting the actions of the work. 👍
Seems from his interviews like he didn't care much about questioning morality in this novel, although I think it's a given. Focus is primarily on the aesthetics.