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margaritium's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
sarahaile's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
stutee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
mahtab's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Murder
kristenhuck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Incest, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
lacey_wi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
lynn_x5452's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Minor: Gun violence, Incest, Kidnapping, and Murder
josierosser's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
whoischels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Honestly, one of the most horrifying things about this book, having read it now, is how much the culture misunderstands it. There are people above and below me in the comments calling this either a "love story" or pro-pedophilia. It's not. Humbert is pedophilically obsessed with an idealized Dolores. He never sees the scared child she is. The only time he catches a glimpse of Dolores for who she really is
Nabokov is not sympathetic to Humbert. His name is "Humbert Humbert" for christs sake, how much more obvious can you get that this is not a narrator to be trusted? There is a fictional introduction from a psychiatrist condemning Humbert's actions. Humbert says that he'd give himself 35 years to life just for what he did to Dolores.
I don't know if people see this as a love story because reading comprehension is way worse than I thought it was or because people's attitudes toward women and children are way worse than I thought they were. This is deeply depressing to think about. Reading this book and learning how people have adapted it will make you want to give up on culture. The fact that Kubrick could adapt a movie of this in the 60s and play it as a comedy is insane. The fact that his 30 something year old producer dated the underage actress portraying Dolores during the press tour for that movie is insane. The fact that popstars like Lana Del Ray and Katy Perry cast the "sexuality" of "Lolita" in a positive light in their music and interviews (while maintaining they had read the book!!) is insane.
The only conclusion I can come to is that a lot of our culture makers just want to engage with things at face value and many people are too lazy to think about subtext. Then again, it's hardly subtext. For an author who "despises didactic fiction" Nabokov makes it pretty f***ing clear Humbert is a piece of sh*t.
Why did I rate this book five stars when as a rule I generally never rate anything five stars? Because it has revealed something deeply f***ed up about our culture (see: everything I've written above). I already knew that the sexualization of children, particularly young girls, is and has been entirely too permissible in the United States, but somehow I know it more now. This book turned this intellectualized knowledge into a real feeling for me. I am less happy for having read it, but I understand this better now. Wouldn't ever recommend this book to anybody. You just have decide it's time to read it.
_______________________________
As an aside, it is a testament to Nabokov's skill that Dolores shines through as a child persevering through unspeakable suffering in heartbreaking little glimpses, despite the fact that she is being portrayed unfairly by an unreliable narrator. Dolores feels like a real, scared little girl trying hard to act and survive, despite the rosy, false treatment that Humbert gives her. Never read an unreliable narrator story that pulled something like this off so well.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Stalking
rayne_1906's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Death of parent