Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

277 reviews

g1lg4mesh's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Car accident, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

marllovesbooksswag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Pedophilia

dnvnuwu's review against another edition

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

4.25

Vocabulary is way too complicated and obscure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Hate crime

danielleboldry's review against another edition

I know 30 pages is not really giving the book a chance but i just don’t think I can bring myself to carry on. 

I’ve heard so many people say that this book is misunderstood due to the romanticism of HH’s crimes and lolita’s character in adaptations and popular culture, and I want to believe this is true. however I simply cannot read any more of it. I’m all for an unreliable narrator, but being inside of a paedophile‘s head is just too far. even if it isn’t the intention of the book to glorify the narrators thoughts, for me it just doesn’t work as a first person perspective - it is just far too uncomfortable and quite frankly sickening to read. 

I’m still struggling to understand why this book is a classic. Yes, the writing style might be brilliantly unique with clever narrative devices but I just can’t wrap my head around why we need this book, or why anyone would enjoy it. You can argue that anyone reading this book should automatically know that HH is a criminal and the villain of the story and it should only be read from this perspective, (which is so true), I just still don’t think this is the right way to tell this story. But then again, I only read 30 pages so I guess my opinions don’t really mean much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

storyshory's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest and Sexual assault

Moderate: Violence

sundragonheartt's review against another edition

very important book, will be reading the various discourses surrounding it, but I am not in a good enough mental state to handle such heavy subject matter right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Violence

kierank's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I would get lost in the beautiful prose and then remember what I was reading about and get sick to my stomach, which I’m sure is the point. Reading this as a teen definitely heightened the horror aspect. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault

hotteahippie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

One of those books that makes you question humanity. It was presented to me as a "timeless classic". That troubles me deeply... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, and Gaslighting

adorablyandie's review against another edition

I made it to the scenes after HH assaults Dolores Haze and after months and months of picking  it up and putting it back down, I realized that my heart wasn't in finishing the book. I understand what the story is doing, and I realize that HH does suffer consequences for his actions, however I didn't need to witness that end. I reached my own personal limit with the book. There may be a chance in the future that I'll come back to it, but as of now, I'm good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Stalking, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

lottevanderpaelt's review against another edition

dark funny reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent