Scan barcode
kristenhuck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Violence, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child death, Car accident, Incest, Death of parent, and Murder
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
Graphic: Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was not expecting to enjoy this story as much as I did. When a book tries to tackle such sensitive content matter, it is often hard to do so well. It is also difficult as a reader to separate the book from the main character. Humbert is highly unlikable, and as a reader, you are outraged that he is preying on young girls and trying to seduce them. Humbert is also willing to do almost anything to have his perfect nymphet, even murder. At every turn Humbert makes poor choices and your heart goes out to Dolores. She is so young and at such an impressionable age, you feel like Humbert is robbing her of her innocence. With all of that said, I could not put this book down. I was fascinated to be in the mind of such a depraved man. He knows he should not want this, but he cannot stop in his pursuit.
I do not necessarily recommend this book because of its content matter, but I am so happy I read this.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
elisanisly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Rape, Murder, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Stalking, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Child death
bill369's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Car accident, Child death, and Pregnancy
spoookycat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Death of parent, Gun violence, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Child death and Car accident
directorpurry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Updated 2020 rating: 3.5 stars
This is one of a short list of books where I can understand why some school districts and governments choose to ban it. While I find the writing to be absolutely amazing, at times almost breathtaking, the contents contained are questionable at best, atrocious at worst.
At times, Lolita is a book that can feel necessary to defend the reasons why you like it. I'll do my best to explain here:
Not to knock down the high-brow element of my review, but there's a Tumblr joke that has made the rounds about how the opposite of a "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" (usually a film trope character) is a "Depressed Goblin Nightmare Man" and how that is often a trope character of literature.
Not only that, it's often a popular trope character. (I'm looking at you, Erik, from The Phantom of the Opera.) Humbert Humbert is absolutely a "Depressed Goblin Nightmare Man" (DGNM from here on out).
He has combination of what it takes to make a DGNM, such as the cocky attitude. While HH spends most of the book degrading himself as "weak" or non-confrontational, he also spends the majority of the book strutting around like Lolita owes herself to him. Whenever she does something he doesn't like, he emotionally manipulates her into sleeping with him or forgiving him. HH also constantly blames his victims, these "Nymphets," who have done nothing more than behave like themselves, children who have no concept of the way he watches, stalks, and harasses many of them. Although he says he knows what he's doing wrong, HH ultimately places the blame on everyone but himself.
And Nabokov clearly knows what he's doing.
I've often noticed that many writers of "high" literature explore taboo topics far, far past the bounds of normalcy or even understanding. But it takes both an excellent writer and a committed reader to see past the surface topic to find the commentary underneath. Which isn't to say I blame anyone who hates or chooses not to even attempt this book because of the topic - I absolutely understand why people would want to chuck this book off a cliff.
But when I read it, I can see Nabokov's sarcastic attitude behind the words, the way he twists HH's own words against him as a narrator, making him at once unreliable and perfectly believable in his earnestness.
Lolita is clearly a girl suffering intense distress from her, at times, neglectful mother to her constant abuse and rape at the hands of HH. She shows many signs of abused children, from hiding food and money to her acting out in school and losing interest in hobbies.
There are many marks of Nabokov's deep involvement with these characters. I love the way he wrote this terrible book, and his characters are completely fascinating to me.
Additionally, I read this book for the first time just as I graduated high school, when I was personally quite enraptured by man DGNM in media. Outside of school work, this was one of the first "adult" "literature" books I elected to read on my own and I was completely swept away by the writing.
I'd like to think I've matured enough now as a reader to critique HH's status as a DGNM and as a writer to really absorb and understand the craft that went into this novel.
It's hard to say I "like" this book, but I would, perhaps, say I respect it. While perhaps no longer a 5-star because of my more nuanced understanding of the actual topic, rather than reading it when I was, in fact, still a teenager/child myself, the strong writing will always push it close to 4-stars for me.
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Rape
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Child death and Physical abuse
13octopus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit
davidrb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
One of my favorite books when it comes to technical skill and the clear love and talent Nabokov has for his craft, a marvel of characterization that is almost too strong, and at the same time the worst book to actually read. This is my first time returning to it since I was about Dolly's age, and it's as profoundly upsetting as it gets. Nobody wins.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
irese_s12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Rape
Minor: Child death