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Nov 18, 2008
Nanosynergy
rated it
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review of another edition
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france
This is a dark tale told by an erudite sociopath. I really hate to give it 4 stars due to its subject matter, but I have to admit I stayed up late last night finishing it (after nearly giving up earlier due to a couple of particularly distasteful scenes). A shift in the latter half of the book both surprised and engaged me - so I persevered and finished it.
Nabokov's writing is outstanding. His vocabulary impressive. His wordplay references art, literature, and theater, etc. and I'm sure often we ...more
Nabokov's writing is outstanding. His vocabulary impressive. His wordplay references art, literature, and theater, etc. and I'm sure often we ...more
Humbert Humbert, writing his memoir while awaiting trial, recounts his lifelong attraction to very young girls and the circumstances which led him to kidnap his twelve year-old stepdaughter and spend the next three years driving her all over America to evade detection.
Yes, Humbert is a child molester, so this book is not going to be on everyone's list. It wasn't on mine either, but I saw the group read listed and figured that would be a good opportunity. There must be a reason why a book written ...more
Yes, Humbert is a child molester, so this book is not going to be on everyone's list. It wasn't on mine either, but I saw the group read listed and figured that would be a good opportunity. There must be a reason why a book written ...more
Well, wow, wow, wow, this book was so much more than I expected. I was kind of blown away by the richness of the prose and the morbid fascination with the story. Sometime I would like to read the annotated version as I'm sure a good 75% of the literary illusions floated right over my head. I'll definitely have to read this again sometime as there is sooooo much to take in.
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I enjoyed it but there were moments where I felt totally skeeved out or I just plain got lost. Sometimes the thought process was a little difficult to follow, but I think that's kind of the beauty of the book.
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I read this a while ago, but I wanted to put it in here because it was very thought-provoking. The narrator's love (sickening, gross love) for twelve-year-old Lolita is almost believable, it's so passionate, but their sexual relationship is absolutely repulsive, though consensual. Their restless travels are intriguing, but his love for her, obsession really, is just a fascinating study in psychology. I almost feel bad for him. I feel guilty for it. The end is anti-climactic, somewhat tragic.
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Some books evolve a great deal with age, and this was one of them for me. The aspects of Herbert's illness and depravity, the extent of which he was the monster that Nabokov spoke of him to be, see so much clearer on this reading than the one 10 years ago.
However, my appreciation for use of language and well carved writing has only increased.
Still an amazing read. ...more
However, my appreciation for use of language and well carved writing has only increased.
Still an amazing read. ...more
Wow. It's a strange feeling to be amazed at both how good and how creepy a book can be at the same time. Add to that the AWESOME narrator of the audio book version, and it's a recipe for a GREAT read/listen. Wow. I'm still trying to process everything. This really was a GREAT book, and for sure in the top five of books read this year for me.
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May 19, 2009
N.R. Bergeson
marked it as to-read
Jul 25, 2009
Keith Bado
marked it as to-read
Feb 05, 2010
Efe
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2010
Erica Renée
marked it as to-read
Nov 18, 2010
Kat
added it
Feb 09, 2011
Kristi
marked it as to-read
Jul 05, 2012
Carla
marked it as to-read
