Reviews tagging 'Incest'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

165 reviews

accidentalfolklore's review against another edition

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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. 
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archipelagophoto's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad fast-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

Very upsetting read, buckle up. The writing style is beautiful, while the content is despicable. A tragedy, with no winners. 
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isbahusman's review against another edition

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challenging 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

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_christinadevin's review against another edition

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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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_kaylinconn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

I did not enjoy a single page of this novel, and yet I am rating it 4 stars. It was beautiful in a macabre way. The actions are indeed disgusting, and I appreciate that the text acknowledges that even in the twisted mind of Humbert Humbert. There is not a better example of obsession than this. And though I wish it wasn’t about such a horrible topic, I see what it was trying to say. It leaves me with a stomach ache and tears in my eyes for the life Delores Hayes could have lived, the vacant look described her in eyes destroys me. I read this for dear Sally Horner, who deserved so much more than this world gave her. 
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kazli's review against another edition

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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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deeknowshowtoread's review against another edition

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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

4.5

my thoughts are so chaotic from this book. 
The story, of course, is disturbing and i cannot understand how people can misinterpretated/romanticized it.

Humbert made my blood boil, made me want to bag my head against the wall — but, that's kind of his purpose.

Nabokov's writing is poetically delicious, i loved the way this was written. There are disturbing quotes in his poetic writing that just ate. 

the only thing — the reason it's not five stars — is that the part where they travel through US was boring me and the amount of town names etc:. we're overwhelming. 

that's all 🎀
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g1lg4mesh's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I find myself in a pickle of sorts in reviewing this book- I cannot in good faith blindly recommend it, and yet it is simultaneously the most incredible text I have ever engaged with. Lolita simply redefines the standard of the masterpiece, building not a glass ceiling (such tangibilities are beneath it), rather, casting the colloquial “bar” to the very heavens, where it may never be seen again. Only read this book if you are prepared to finish it- know too that this is no simple matter- but read this book, if you may be so bold. It will challenge you, and you may want to hurl it into a fire at times, but still, you simply must make it to that final page. This is a book that redefines the 5th star, and shakes any attempt at literary tier lists to its very core.
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gvstyris's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

I need you, the reader, to imagine us, for we don’t really exist if you don’t.

There’s no doubt that Nabokov’s Lolita is a timeless classic, and I finally understand why. Primarily, the prose is gorgeous. I’ve never been so in awe of an author’s writing style and paused repeatedly to jot down quotes or dog-ear pages. Nabokov’s manipulation of narration (and the strength of Humbert Humbert’s personal voice) is similarly masterful, and I was struck by how fundamental the novel’s foreword is to understanding the story. It must also be noted that Humbert Humbert is a well-crafted, terrifying character whose gaze aptly reflects our society’s obsession with young girls, a messaging still of undeniable relevance in the 21st century.

Before reading, I was both fascinated by Lolita’s cultural impact and confused by the purpose of such a novel. It seemed perplexing that an author would want to tell such a viscerally uncomfortable story, and it’s a question I couldn’t properly answer until reading Nabokov’s afterword. He argues that “I am neither a reader nor writer of didactic fiction, and, despite John Ray’s assertion, Lolita has no moral in tow.” Instead, its purpose is realism, a cautionary tale that stands the test of time because of how it is continually misconstrued by paedophiles and victims alike. I’m glad to have finally read it and will be thinking about its cultural relevance for a long time. 

I’ve (pretty superficially) knocked half a star off for the verbose descriptions. Humbert Humbert’s excessive ramblings while traipsing the country with Lo were unnecessary and arguably detrimental to the flow of the narrative. 

Overall a powerful read, and I highly recommend giving it a shot if you’re in the right mental place. Definitely look up the content warnings, though.
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storyshory's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense

5.0

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