A review by lia_the_imp
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

3.0

This book is full of the most poetic prose I've ever read, but the subject matter (pedophile man takes 12 year old girl/step-daughter on rape-filled cross-country road trip) is very disturbing. Granted, it is interesting as a psychological study as Humbert falls into paranoia and guilt, and it is up to the reader to decide which of his actions are permissible or condemnable, but I can't say definitively that the style redeems the subject matter in my view. I sometimes am a fan of dark, disturbing, and even disgusting subject matter, but I don't know. Nabokov didn't include a bias against Humbert in the novel or any sort of moral standing on the subject matter at hand, which is wild to me but maybe makes the novel more immersing? There are a lot of problematic & misogynistic details within these pages that really turn me off, but I kept reading because I needed closure on what happened to Dolores. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone, but I would pick up another book by Nabokov in the future (Pale Fire is probably next, but I’d take suggestions). Although I recognize the importance of how this book can empower people who have lived mirror experiences to Dolores, it can equally act as a trigger. I don't think the book should be banned for its contents, I just think people should be mindful going into it. Not every book is for everyone and that’s okay. I both enjoyed it and I didn’t; I expect that most readers have the same reaction.