Lolita in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Jun 12, 2007 Suvi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: _north-america, 1940-1969, _favorites, novels, _europe-eastern, _david-bowies-favorites

Underneath the eloquence a shocking description about an immoral passion of a monster. Whatever Humbert Humbert claims, his twisted picture of the girl isn't reality. He's filling in the gaps himself and imagining something there is not, forcing the reader to see Lo with his eyes. How much of the story is actually true? The writing is superb, it's only hinting the surroundings but tells us so much. Nabokov's use of words and allusions is in fact so brilliant, that you can't help but have this co ...more

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May 06, 2007 Monica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: genrex, 1001, 2010

I still love Lolita and I refuse to rate this any less than five stars, even if I wasn't as enchanted this 3rd time around. HH was charming and hapless and awful as ever. I will say I picked up a lot more about the Lo character this time around. She always seemed like a cipher to me in previous readings but this time around I felt like I was recognizing her attempted agency.

Anyway, still a work of art but despite my best efforts I had a harder time loving it in this reading. ...more

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Mar 03, 2008 Kecia rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-books, times_100_best

Oh, Humbert Humbert you vile villain, you felonious fiend! Dolly was your folly. You are the most miserable of English literature's characters.

What more can one say about Lolita that has not already been said? The story is disturbing but every sentence is a delight. I was almost jumping out of my chair at Nabokov's amazing use of language. I checked Lolita out of the library but I would like my own copy to mark up and learn from. ...more

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Aug 19, 2013 jenn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001, fiftyfiftyme, 2013

All the stars. All of them. In his advice to writers in The Guardian, Geoff Dyer is all, "Don't be one of those writers who sentence themselves to a lifetime of sucking up to Nabokov." And I'm all, "Dude, WHAT CHOICE DO I HAVE? DO YOU EVEN LIFT??????"

Audiobook narration, by one of the Mssrs. Humbert himself, Jeremy Irons, is as solid as it gets. ...more

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