Lolita in Around the World in 80 Books

Oct 12, 2012 Sera rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, favorites, 1001-books, literary-fiction, classics, library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I had been shying away from reading the book. As the mother of a 3 year old daughter, I was concerned about the subject matter. Several of my Bookish friends, however, told me that the story was excellent and to give the book a try. Wow, am I glad that I did!

First, Nabokov's writing is absolutely exquisite. I was in awe of the richness and depth of his ability to use the right words to describe what goes on in the head of a pedophile. Yes, Humbert is an unreliable narrator and an abomination to I had been shying away from reading the book. As the mother of a 3 year old daughter, I was concerned about the subject matter. Several of my Bookish friends, however, told me that the story was excellent and to give the book a try. Wow, am I glad that I did!

First, Nabokov's writing is absolutely exquisite. I was in awe of the richness and depth of his ability to use the right words to describe what goes on in the head of a pedophile. Yes, Humbert is an unreliable narrator and an abomination to humanity, but Nabokov does an excellent job of having Humbert tell his side of the story. The modern day notion is that child molesters were molested themselves as children, but Nabokov's approach through Humbert was that Humbert is who he is because of an unfilled love that he experienced at the onset of puberty. Humbert uses this experience as the basis to self-rationalize his abhorrent behavior by also making Dolores (aka Lolita) a willing partner in his physical relationship with her. In Humbert's mind, he is the middle of the greatest love affair ever know to man, but the reader knows that he is an outright sexual abuser. How so? Well, Humbert gives the reader everything that she needs to know that Humbert is a molestor, which starts on the very first night, when Humbert drugs Lolita prior to his having sex with her. There is no confusion in this book that Humbert is not a reliable narrator, but at the same time, Nabokov is able to give the reader the real story as to what happened to Lolita by having Humbert provide certain information along the way. In the event that the reader has any doubt that Humbert is a liar, Lolita says it all at the end when she tells Humbert that another man had broken her heart, but that Humbert had "broken her life". I found Nabokov's approach to Humbert's justification for his conduct to be much more creative and nuanced than most stories nowadays, which is, "I was hurt, and now I hurt others".

Second, Nabokov understands that less is more. Frankly, I am tired of all shock contemporary literature that is out there with their gruesome depictions of gang rapes and rest room blow jobs. I want to feel what's going on in a story and not be knocked over the head with disturbing imagery, which is what I am generally left with after reading those types of books. Nabokov made me extremely uncomfortable and sickend by what happens to Lolita without going into detail about what Humbert was doing to her. Using a phrase like "stained and dirty sheets", tells me all that I really need to know as an intelligent person, while making me extremely uncomfortable to boot. I believe that this type of writing is a true talent of Nabokov's. His genius is in his ability to get the reader to make her own connections and to fully become entrenched in the story through her own feelings, thoughts and ideas. Nabokov takes the reader on his (and Humbert's) journey in a subtle way that makes the reader feel her own sense of involvement.

As you can see, I really loved this book. The story is the story, and a very tragic one, but the real enjoyment that I had while reading it was going on the ride with Nabokov. I cannot wait to read more of his books in the future. He is on his way to getting on my favorite authors' list.

One more thing - I listened to the story on audio, which was read by Jeremy Irons, and he was fantastic and captured Humbert to the tee. I would highly recommend going with this approach if you enjoy audio reads. ...more

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May 23, 2014 Jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, 1001

Not the easiest thing to read as the parent of a daughter, but this one has earned its classic status for how much Nabokov's depiction shapes our cultural understanding of Humbert's predilections. I come away struck by how the element of repugnance comes less from desire than from narcissism - Humbert comes off as so deeply self-involved, and so incapable of seeing beyond his own nose, that you can't help but recoil from its intensity like you would an open flame. A beautifully written book abou ...more

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