Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

130 reviews

lesbegays's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

i have no idea how to rate this. it’s disturbing and disgusting and also so very human. i hated reading it but was also enthralled. 
i always have been and always will be drawn to stories about atrocities committed in the name of love, about evil done to loved ones not in spite of that love but because of it, about love that is twisted and selfish and incomplete but still very much love, about people who only know how to give love in ways that won’t feel like love to those who receive it. i think this is essential reading for anyone drawn to those themes in stories who can stomach this particular type of evil. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Incest, Murder, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Drug use, Blood, Death of parent, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Trafficking, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Racism

a_epistemological_crisis's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Drug use

Minor: Incest

joaura's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Did not finish. Stopped reading at 63%.
 
Reading this book was not only higly triggering and disturbing, but felt so pointless in trying to analyse it on a higher level.

I read a plot summary for the last third I had left and I'm glad I did that instead of pushing through the remaining pages of this novel.

I understand why it's a classic.
But!
I don't understand how it's described to be dangerously decieving the reader into sympathizing with Humbert.

~

I don't want to add anything to my initial review explaining why I didn't finish this novel, even though I managed to read the remaining pages after cooling down a bit.

This book was a tough read, expecially for me as a survivor myself.
Please be careful reading this piece of work if you've had experiences regarding child sexual abuse yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Death, Fatphobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Racism, and Cursing

Minor: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Cancer, and Car accident

xahom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Incest, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, and Gun violence

Minor: Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Racism

gingerlarue's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

jedore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

3.75

“You know, what’s so dreadful about dying is that you are completely on your own.”

Lolita is the story of obsession and pedophilia that was as revolting as I had expected. At best, it was uncomfortable to be inside the mind of a narcissistic pedophile…at worst, utterly disgusting.

Character development was limited to the highly unlikeable pedophile, Humbert Humbert, but was absolutely masterful. In fact, Humbert WAS the story as there was very little action. (It would be fascinating to read a book from Delores’/Lolita’s perspective.)

To add to my negative feelings about Humbert, I found his pompous vocabulary and frequent use of un-translated French irritating. It also created emotional distance between me and this book.

This was one of those books I read purely out of curiosity and a desire to be better educated. Over the years, it has been regularly referenced in books, movies, and even song lyrics and I was missing out on meanings. Now I get it. I am glad I read it…all knowledge is power, but I won’t miss Humbert one bit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny

Moderate: Car accident

ohyeah_karyn's review against another edition

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Incest, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Alcohol, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

gabriella_'s review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

3.0

This is literally one of the worst books I’ve ever read and the fact it’s well written makes me hate it more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Trafficking, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Self harm, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Body shaming, Sexism, Gaslighting, Incest, Mental illness, Grief, Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Emotional abuse

kelisabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

2.5

It feels wrong to rate this high, though it was incredibly well written

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Car accident, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

taelights's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense 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

4.0

I was honestly a bit worried going into this book because I have seen people in the past have bad takes on this book saying it's a love story or that it romanticizes pedophilia or that it's suppose to make you sympathize with a pedophile. But this is also a book that I've always been morbidly curious about and wanted to form my own opinion of so I decided to give it a try. 

Now I honestly think anyone who believes this book romanticizes pedophilia is either 1) fucked up, 2) has not read the book and is making assumptions, or 3) doesn't have an ounce of critical thinking skills and no ability to analyze a book. You can tell that Nabokov doesn't agree with Humbert's character or actions. 

Honestly this book was lowkey kind of a masterpiece. Vladimir Nabokov's writing style is beautiful and this is such a good genius example of an unreliable narrator story. The subject matter was of course disgusting and so many lines made me feel nauseated but it was such an interesting read. I kind of want to read it through again in the future to better analyze the book now that I have a picture of the whole story arch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol