Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

174 reviews

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.

---

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

_jasper_394's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

I think if you are going to read this book you must be aware that there are certain things described so lyrically so you start picturing the scene then you remember the narrator is speaking about a child and a pang of disgust hits you and you want to violently hit your head against a wall. But if you're okay with that then it's a pretty easy book to get into classics if that's what you're looking for (which is why I read it). Overall, I personally didn't like it but I think that's more of a me issue as I didn't do enough research into its contents before reading.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Child abuse

lguzzie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

“I looked and looked at her, and I knew, as clearly as I know that I will die, that I loved her more than anything I had ever seen or imagined on earth. She was only the dead-leaf echo of the nymphet from long ago - but I loved her, this Lolita, pale and polluted and big with another man's child. She could fade and wither - I didn't care. I would still go mad with tenderness at the mere sight of her face.”

An amalgam of the utterly depraved and the poetically beautiful.  Nabakov's prose is nothing short of stunning, sometimes distracting the reader from the disgusting content and even moving them to briefly sympathize with HH. I will say, the French was very annoying, Nabakov acknowledges this, but I am not smart enough to understand the purpose aside from showing HH is an obnoxious intellectual. I get it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Rape

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. 

---

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

jessn924's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.75

Nature of characters keeps you reading to find out what will happen to the characters. Twists were unexpected and dark. Very tense and hard to read at some points, somewhat slow in between tense moments

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

lisvxdro's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I will admit that I had some trouble getting through this not because of the subject matter, but by my lack of focus. Nabokov’s writing is descriptive, delicate, tongue-in-cheek, and funny at some points. One misread and the next few sentence (even words) become confusing. That is to say that you must pay attention, which I had trouble with. Not because of his writing, but of my own focus. I will need to re-read this at a later time with more focus.

This book is considered by many one of the greatest pieces of modern literature. Im failing to understand why or how it’s celebrated. Is it due to the psychological deep dive of Humbert Humbert and his way with words or the portrayal of such a topic that is now obviously incredibly repulsive. I was hesitant to give it 4-stars for my first read but I feel like it’s mainly due to my understanding. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape

nina_mk's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

accidentalfolklore's review against another edition

Couldn’t do it. It’s well written but I couldn’t get past how much detail is gone into the subject. It was also a bit boring and I found myself putting it on in the background just to mindlessly get through it. At about 44% through I gave up on it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Incest

manicaxolotl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pregnancy

baker16's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional relaxing sad medium-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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Death

Minor: Rape and Pedophilia