A review by nabaraditi
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

The rating is not for the book but represents my enjoyment thereof. 
I’m in awe the way Vladimir Nobakov has depicted the mind of a human. It’s soooo shocking and mind-blowing. The first 100-150 pages were just amazing.. I was surely going to give it 4 stars. But then the book took a plunge and reading about the roadtrips and… that bored me to DNF it multiple times. 
I feel this book should be seen as less to do with Humbert and more about Lolita’s sad life.
Her mother didn’t want her, didn’t treat her well. Her mother’s new husband is in lust with her. She does get raped at age 12. She is controlled by this man. Her even steals her money so that she cannot run away. Blackmails her that if she does tell about he raping her, she’ll end up in the system. He gives her gifts so that she would stay with him, even continue to have sex with him. Once he even paid her to masturbate him. Like it’s really horrible. I also feel she’s not sure what she wants.
 
This book also gave me an insight on what a paedophile finds attractive in young children. 
This book also depicts how men or how society views women in their prime. When women are young like teenagers and in their 20’s, there are men who want to court them and marry them. And the way they are gaslighted and manipulated after or even before marriage. After a decade or two and having children, women in their 40’s and 50’s are considered old and not sexy anymore. This is what I thought of when Humbert starts to see Lolita not being a young pre-pubescent girl anymore. So, I think this book isn’t just about a paedophile who is in love with a 12 year old girl but about men and society and their portrayal of women’s sexuality and women themselves even. 

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