Sarah's review
Lolita (Penguin Modern Classics) by Vladimir Nabokov
How can I possibly review Lolita? Nabokov was a ridiculous genius. English wasn't even his second or third language, I don't think. But he wrote better in English than most native speaking authors.
The first paragraph is a perfect example: "Lolita - light of my life; fire of my loins; my sin, my soul, Lolita. The tip of the tongue, taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap at three on the teeth: Lolita." Read that out loud and feel the rhythm of it, the way every sound of every word works together. Nabokov did a lot of that - he loved the sounds of words and paid attention to the way they sounded, as well as the meaning.
This is a book written from the point of view of a pedophile, about his love for a pre-teenage girl, and Nabokov manages to make you sympathize and understand Humbert Humbert. And the writing is so god damned beautiful. There is not one extra word, or unnecessary sentence; everything is crafted so perfectly and yet it never seems over...more
The first paragraph is a perfect example: "Lolita - light of my life; fire of my loins; my sin, my soul, Lolita. The tip of the tongue, taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap at three on the teeth: Lolita." Read that out loud and feel the rhythm of it, the way every sound of every word works together. Nabokov did a lot of that - he loved the sounds of words and paid attention to the way they sounded, as well as the meaning.
This is a book written from the point of view of a pedophile, about his love for a pre-teenage girl, and Nabokov manages to make you sympathize and understand Humbert Humbert. And the writing is so god damned beautiful. There is not one extra word, or unnecessary sentence; everything is crafted so perfectly and yet it never seems over...more
