Reviews

ew

First off, congratulations to Nabokov in his grave - I have read stories with graphic murders and some wild-ass sex, and THIS book is the first one that genuinely grossed me out. Humbert has such a grating, MAP softboy type personality; he looks down on literallh everyone who isn't a little girl, and he regularly lapses into French and poetry mid-narration. Also, he compliments himself a lot. Like okay pedo.... shut up.

However, once I'd gotten used to all the sexual and miscellaneous abuse - a horrible thing, to be sure, but MAN you can't finish this novel without getting jaded - it was really just the long, uninteresting rambling of a pretentious old man that got more and more boring once Dolores was mostly out of the picture. I was SO relieved when I finished it.

runningdobe's review against another edition

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4.0

Controversial? Yes. But brilliant.

We all know the premise to the book is highly controversial and disgusting. It's difficult to read. In fact, I initially dismissed this book from my library after reading about a quarter through. I picked it back up maybe six months later. The story is incredibly deep and multi-layered. And Nabakov's style is utterly brilliant. His usage of language and metaphor is at a whole other level that 99% of writers will never come close to sniffing. Despite the storyline, this book is worth reading.

lexquiv's review against another edition

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2.0

On a technical level, this book is impressive. However it is nauseating to read, and I shudder to think of it in the hands of a curious child. As an adult you must make it past the first 13 or so chapters to see why it is considered a classic and not erotica.

abigail_bonds's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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