A review by maibenottho
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

i'm mentally and physically exhausted hours after finishing this book. 
the prose was by far the strongest aspect of the book. the author really forces you to read between the lines; scrutinize the allusions, linguistic flourishes and occasional slips of european. 
 
this book is heartbreaking, particularly for dolores. due to the unreliable narration of humbert humbert, the reader never gets a sense of her true personality - only the imagined version humbert humbert has. the reader is forced to witness his obsession with dolores in painful detail. he is a despicable person, and even when he and dolores are seperated he is unable to let her go:
"my American sweet immortal dead love; for she is dead and immortal if you are reading this" 
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