Scan barcode
m4rtt4's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
no book has ever made me want to throw up this much
BUT
I can't say that the book was bad. The writing was repulsive yet undeniably compelling, it made me want to bleach my eyes AND hopelessly keep reading as if I could save the little girl by turning pages. I wanted to know, I needed to know — yet still, I now wish I knew nothing at all.
BUT
I can't say that the book was bad. The writing was repulsive yet undeniably compelling, it made me want to bleach my eyes AND hopelessly keep reading as if I could save the little girl by turning pages. I wanted to know, I needed to know — yet still, I now wish I knew nothing at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Mental illness and Death of parent
oprah_wimpy's review against another edition
1.0
I read it because so many had listed this as a classic. I made myself choke down the subject matter. But even dumbing it down to just literary prose, I still have no idea why anyone would read it. It's not that good. Now add back in the subject matter... and I have finished it and am left with a feeling of no idea why. What a waste of time. Ew.
stobotnik's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fatemah_k's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
stellapropella's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lizbradford's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
selfishdesire's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ncat999's review
5.0
This book totally blew me away. I may be one of the last to read Nabokov, but I'm sort of glad I didn't read this when I was younger -- I'm not sure I would have appreciated it.
Humbert is unreliable, pathetic, amusing, clever, and absolutely, utterly terrible. The prose is amazing. Some reviews below mention it being overwritten, but to me that is HH's narration, it's his voice, and as such it seems perfect.
It's a brutal story in a lovely package. I found the hints of honesty and insight that Humbert would suddenly admit to, either about the truth of the situation, or of Lolita's feelings, to be the most devastating, especially because of the way they were slipped into the earlier narrative.
I disagree with the suggestion that this book is meant to "change the way one thinks" in the sense that one is supposed to question standard morality. Nabokov clearly understands Humbert to be a monster, albeit an initially charming one. He's depicted as a monster, too. One shouldn't confuse Humbert's beautiful, romantic rationalizations of horrible things with the novel's reality, or the author's views or intent.
Humbert is unreliable, pathetic, amusing, clever, and absolutely, utterly terrible. The prose is amazing. Some reviews below mention it being overwritten, but to me that is HH's narration, it's his voice, and as such it seems perfect.
It's a brutal story in a lovely package. I found the hints of honesty and insight that Humbert would suddenly admit to, either about the truth of the situation, or of Lolita's feelings, to be the most devastating, especially because of the way they were slipped into the earlier narrative.
I disagree with the suggestion that this book is meant to "change the way one thinks" in the sense that one is supposed to question standard morality. Nabokov clearly understands Humbert to be a monster, albeit an initially charming one. He's depicted as a monster, too. One shouldn't confuse Humbert's beautiful, romantic rationalizations of horrible things with the novel's reality, or the author's views or intent.