Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
A controversial and shocking novel detailing a man’s obsession with a young girl.
Laura’s Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Plot: French professor Humbert Humbert writes about his obsession with his landlady’s preteen daughter, Dolores, whom he calls Lolita.
Analysis: Anyone describing this book as a romance has been fooled by the unreliable and clever Humbert. Sure, he may monologue about love and yearning, but it is for a 12 year old girl, making the statements perverse rather than romantic.
The prose is aesthetically written and flowery, but it was mostly tedious rather than enchanting. The beautiful language serves to romanticize (and justify) Humbert’s feelings about Lolita, but after it fulfilled that initial purpose, I grew tired of it. Author Vladimir Nabokov also uses word play and puns that, while clever, I admit were often lost on me. In between the horrible events taking place, I found the book to be a bit boring.
One thing that I did find interesting was experiencing the story through the eyes of the “villian”. That aspect of the book reminded me a lot of Crime and Punishment, where the reader gets the perspective and inner thoughts of the (morally corrupt and criminal) narrator. Because of this point of view, the reader does not get a full view of Lolita’s feelings or personality, which allows Humbert to paint her as this almost mythical creature that is the center of his fantasies and affection. Humbert is eloquent and cunning, inviting “the jury” to make a judgment about him.
The subject matter of Lolita is disturbing and widely known. Read at your own risk.
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