Scan barcode
A review by danielleboldry
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault