The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World

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Erin O'Riordan I've never read Lolita and I think you can appreciate this nonfiction work (I'm about 1/3 through now) without reading/liking the book or Nabokov. It'…moreI've never read Lolita and I think you can appreciate this nonfiction work (I'm about 1/3 through now) without reading/liking the book or Nabokov. It's PERFECTLY FINE to dislike a book written from the point of view of a child abuser and if anyone tells you otherwise, shame them thoroughly.

Readers, please note that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Vladimir Nabokov himself ever abused a girl or even had any proclivity to do so. When deciding whether or not to read this book, keep in mind that while Sally Horner was the victim of a very real kidnapping for a period of about two years, Nabokov's interest in the case was purely literary. My point is you can (and should) hate Sally's kidnapper, you can (and should) hate Humbert Humbert, but if you hate Vladimir Nabokov's writing itself, judge it solely by literary merit and not because you think he was a bad person. (less)

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