Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

71 reviews

kmae314's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Would not read again. I’ve seen enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Stalking, Sexism, Gaslighting, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

cattingtonpost13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Lolita, Lo-lee-ta.
This book is on my list of books to read before you die, written as solely a work of fiction inspired by a monkeys drawing of its jail bars. Lolita is the story of despicable Humbert Humberts excursions with young Delores Haze of which he grooms from the ages of 10-15 before she is whisked away by a mysterious man before Humbe can have his way with her forever.

Vladimir Nabokov writes this novel in perfect English despite being a Russian author. The book is incredibly slow burn spanning years of time and is an incredibly difficult read for anyone with morals, despite its difficult language and lengthy prose, it is deeply insightful and engaging. Mixing you with emotions that typically shouldn't be felt, this book reworks who you think you are and how you feel. It will make you question yourself and those around you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

andrewfischerr19's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• 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

Wow. I just went into this book knowing that Kubrick adapted it (haven't watched it yet, but planning to). It was very intriguing seeing how Nabokov wrote in the perspective of an abuser, and I found that my favorite parts where Humbert scoffs and spits in your face for assuming the right thing. the character manipulates you and you often catch yourself saying "wait a second, I know what you're doing." Overall, Lolita is beautifully written and if you can handle the subject matter I heavily recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism

euannn900's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• 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

0.5

There is no doubt this novel is elegantly and well written but it is entirely impossible to enjoy reading it. Humber Humberts is an awful, piece of shit specimen of a person. Outside of the obvious fact that he is a pedophile

who rapes a 12 year old

, he spends the whole book defending his actions and obsessions, he's a male manipulator, controlling Lolita through blackmailing and physical abuse and is a mysoginist, not only to Lolita but to numerous other women throughout the book. All the while he claims that his disturbing, creepy and disgusting obsession with Lolita is love. Vladimir Nabokov should never have written this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse

aisclaradm's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• 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

Really incredible. I was in a bit of a reading slump and it took me longer than it should have to get through the book, but I never didn’t enjoy it. Despite how vile the narrator and his actions are, there’s something strangely touching about how pathetic and hateful he is. Right from the very beginning until the very last page, this book was just beautiful, though one feels uncomfortable and disgusting throughout most of it. 

Sometimes a tad slow, but that’s more so an indictment of my attention span and less so of one on the book itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Car accident

_christinadevin's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-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

4.25

Wtf, I mean writing-wise, Nabokov is genius, but the story is so much to take and it’s really heavy at times. I think that this is a slightly dangerous story for most people to read, because I’ve seen so many young girls identifying with Lolita and so many men who don’t actually see how abusive Humbert is. He may be unreliable narrator but he definitely mentions her crying to sleep and the fact that she ran away because he ruined her life but I can’t give critical thinking skills to everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Incest, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

belsbooks06's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

kazli's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.25

god this book was heartbreaking. it follows a man named humbert humbert who falls in love with his step daughter, and you know it's wrong but because humbert is an unreliable narrator he makes you believe that he is actually in love with his 'lolita' when in reality she is just a child who wanted a normal life and a normal family.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

jalyhn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I give this a high rating because it is written beautifully and an amazing book to annotate and analyze. I had so much fun picking apart everything Humbert did to find out what was >SPOILER<

an illusion or something he made up and what is real.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Drug use, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Mental illness

Minor: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Death of parent, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

caarlotta's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• 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

so difficult to read yet one of my favorite books ever. THE WRITING is gorgeous, nabokov is truly a master writer, and the story is disturbing yet you need to finish the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent