Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

85 reviews

itsmegeo's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment

gethenians's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark funny sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death

kiyara's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was a re-read for me. Lolita is still one of the best books I have ever read. However, I feel it is deeply misunderstood. Nabokov is not romanticising the relationship between a 12-year-old girl and a 37-year-old man, nor is he trying to justify it. In contrast, Nabokov uses irony and references to well-known cultural, literary, and aesthetic discourses to ridicule the predator. He fills the character of Humbert Humbert with parodied self-justification. This poses a challenge for the reader, who must make a continuous effort to see through Humbert's self-perceived worldview. If you manage to do so, this book is a real adventure! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment

squilbur's review against another edition

3.75

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Xenophobia

Minor: Vomit

priyasrini's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Sexual harassment

honeybear_01's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping

Moderate: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy

Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, War

margaretryanhunter's review against another edition

5.0

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

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This is a five star book but not in the "glamorization of pedophilia" type of way that many people consider it to be. Although it's true that in popular culture it has taken on a sort of mystique as a romanticization of attraction to "nymphets", but Nabokov would be rolling in his grave if he knew that his work had been received this way. It's truly a fantastic example of the rapid degradation of our culture that has led to the misinterpretation of such base and key texts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, Stalking, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

leesoko's review against another edition

4.25

challenging tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Violence, Car accident

niles_reads's review against another edition

4.75

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

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The whole review

I’ve never been more disturbed by a piece of media in my life.

I’ve read “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, the book many view “the scariest book ever written”, I’ve read books heavy on body horror like “Bunny” by Mona Awad or “Boy Parts” by Eliza Clark and felt nothing while doing so.

My stomach flipped from page one. Genuinely the worst thing that was ever written.

The writing is hard to get into at first, but once you actually begin understanding the way the main character speaks, or well, writes, the text becomes easier to consume.

The main character is so self-centered, thinks so highly of himself and the way he justifies his horrendous actions to himself made me want to punch something so badly. And not in the Irina from “Boy parts” type a way where you’re kinda enjoying her selfishness. Maybe because his actions are WAY worse than hers.

You don’t quite realize it while reading it, but his every-now-and-then mentions of his “good-looks” is kinda a critique of how beauty and conventional attractiveness can come a long way, disguised as another way of him being full of himself. I remember scoffing and rolling my eyes every time he’d repeat himself, but after finishing it I could see what Nabokov was trying to do.

The truth about this novel is terrifying; that anyone can be a horrendous monster. 

From what I remember, he grew up in a normal environment and was a highly respected individual. He wasn’t some abused child or mistreated teenager. He was, what the people around him saw as, a normal person.

I’ve never really understood what “Seeing someone through the main character’s version of them” meant, until chapter 32 where we finally get a glimpse of her humanity; of her wanting a normal life, of being a child wanting someone to call “family”. Or how even when she was living in poverty and while having a child on the way at 17, she refused to live back with a man who took away her childhood and both physically and mentally broke her.

I’m really debating on what to give it. While being a book about such a disturbing topic, it is extremely well written and it clearly shows a message.

I can’t force myself to give it anything but a 4.75.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

loswrrtown's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape