Lisa's comments (member since May 18, 2008)

Lisa's comments from the Banned Books group.

Goodreads has ads for Bisquick pancakes and all sorts of items not related to books & reading. I think they're trying to get more ads that are related to books/reading but they're dependent somewhat on who wants to advertise here. I don't pay attention to most of the ads. If they're for a book or a movie made from a book, I usually click on those; otherwise, they're just background noise to me.

Fiona, Not at all. Go click on the "about us" link at the bottom of the page and from that page http://www.goodreads.com/about/us also click on "help" and "how it works" etc. Edit: Definitely read everything on the "about us" page.

Thanks, Aggie. That answers that. So Pacific time is 1 hour earlier, Central is 1 hour later, Eastern is 2 hours later. Those for the mainland U.S.

the event will be 9/23 at noon

What time zone? Thanks.

I loved this book!!!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/716...

I'll participate more as this thread gets going but I said a lot of what I thought in my review.

I loved this book but I'd assume that's it's dated now. I'm going to take a glance at my copy in the next week so that I can better participate in this thread.

Once again, I hate to jump in, because I read it so long ago, and I took HH at his word when I did, but I wonder if Lolita's "desire" was a complete figment of HH's imagination. He is the one telling the story and he can use whatever words and story he chooses.

From what I've seen of banned books, the content of this one was probably sufficient. Often, it doesn't take much for a book to be banned. It always boggles my mind, but with some books it's a challenge to even figure it out.

Crystal, I love your observation about the readers of this book being characters.

I actually think HH wants the reader to like him, but not necessarily that the reader should like him. I guess it depends on whether, when, how much the reader sees through him.

Oh, and my reading was so long ago, but I remember it as HH wanting the reader more to feel sorry for him than to like him.

Catherine, I think threads will die out. I think the key is to stop posting and they will sink to the bottom. ;-)

I don't believe in banning any book, Lolita or any book. Lolita is one I did read, but I believe no book, whether I want to read it or not, should be banned from publication/distribution. But, I'm not enjoying this discussion much and, given how long ago I read the book - over 40 years ago, I think I'll wait for our next book to do the book discussion. There are other interesting threads here where I might participate should I have the time.

I'm not participating much because I read Lolita so long ago and my memory is fuzzy. But, what does all this have to do with discussing the book, I wonder. There are many Goodreads groups where discussion of ideas, politics, philosophy are the point of those groups but I thought this thread was to discuss the book Lolita. Since I can't contribute a lot I hate to try to steer the direction back to the book, but I am perplexed.

Novels are fictional, not real, but it doesn't mean they don't contain truths, and it certainly doesn't mean we can't have feelings about what happens. What's the point of reading if we don't care about the characters and plot?!

William, Being concise in our comments doesn't mean we have to come across as anything other than respectful.

William, Are you saying you don't think that HH is an unreliable narrator? I do believe that's what the author intended to communicate.

I've been meaning to post in this thread.

Since middle school age, I've been appalled by censorship, especially regarding books, but also freedom of speech.

I actually had books censored for me when I was young, but I didn't know it. The adult bookshelves were off limits to me, but those books didn't appeal to me as much as the kids' books I read, so I didn't mind. I assumed the books were forbidden, not because of any content, but because the writing/vocabulary/etc. would be "too old" for me.

When I was 11 and especially 12, I started reading adult books.

By the time I was 14-15, I was debating, writing papers, etc. about censorship in books, speech, television, etc. media. I was lucky to have progressive teachers in the middle school and high school years; we read everything and discussed everything. (It was the 60s in San Francisco!) My father also did not supervise any of my reading once I was about 12.

Now, there are books I'd never recommend to kids under 12 or under (insert age) but I'd never forbid a kid to read any book, although if they selected what I thought would be a highly disturbing book, I would warn them of that.

As far as the general population, I feel no book should be censored, although there are plenty that I have no interest in reading.

William, I am confused. Goodreads is about reading & books. This banned books group is about banned books. Are you talking about any particular book(s)? I don't see this group as a group to talk about ideas in general but about banned books, ideas, opinions, information, etc. about that situation.

I don't think this (a few lines down is a spoiler (if it is/moderators delete it or tell me to delete/edit it):







Well, I read it at 13-14 and I was much too young. I took it at face value and believed HH and exactly what he was saying. It gives me the shivers now to think about it.

Kelly, I agree. The general population did not know what being released meant.

Humbert Humbert is the main character but Lolita was who struck me, as a young girl reading it.

Kelly, When I read it at age 13-14 I "didn't get" it. I took it more literally. I really should re-read it as an adult.

My jr. high (not middle school; yes, I am that old) wasn't really that liberal, but it was San Francisco in the mid 60s.

That book was wonderful!