Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Lolita

"In the infinite run it does not matter a jot that a North American girl child named Dolores Haze had been deprived of her childhood by a maniac, unless this can be proven."

it is so hard to put into words the way this novel affected me, other than we've done a great disservice to it by peddling it as a 'love story' for all these years. nabokov can say this story has no moral but the authorial intent reads very clear to me! i do almost feel like i could go back and read it again and catch new things because it kind of reads like a very overwritten horror/mystery novel, because HH is lying to you constantly and covering up his crimes with flowery prose. dolores haze you deserved better, who the fuck is "lolita" anyway!!!

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manicaxolotl's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

4.0

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aisclaradm's review against another edition

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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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_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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fflur's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Lolita is a beautifully written novel, filled with poetic prose. The French phrases intertwined with the English enriches the text, and the rapid pace mimics the way H.H.'s thoughts flow in and out of his mind.

I originally wanted to rate this book incredibly low, given the topic being disturbing and violently horrific. However, upon reflection, I must appreciate the author's ability to evoke such repulsion, along with a host of other negative emotions.

While the majority of the book focused on Humbert, towards the end I found myself more focused on Dolores (aka Lolita) and her life, or what her life could have been. The description of the emptiness behind her eyes left me experiencing a hollowness, sympathy for a life stolen from her, and for a childhood unfulfilled.

Before reading this book, potential readers should check the content warnings. The pages upon pages of descriptions of 'nymphets' and his attraction to them left me feeling physically ill.

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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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