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A review by sidharthvardhan
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
5.0
Scary Humbert
Horror movies – ghosts like chucki, It etc; never scared me – not because I’m really brave (which I’m not) but simply because they were not real. What rather scared me were criminals like Hannibal Lecter or Joker (Dark Knight) or John Kramer (from ‘Saw’ movies); because they seemed so real – men who had their philosophy, who had reasons for doing what they did. You would think men with such mentality can exist in real world. Humbert is one of this latter category – only much more real and thus scarier.
This guy has art – he can be poetical, can make you confuse his lust into what-he –want-everybody-to-see--as love. He invents pseudo logic – coining terms like nymphets. He uses the word to describe a girl who has reached sexual maturity earlier than her age but he conveniently forgets to mention that sexual maturity doesn't come with mental maturity. He tells you he wasn't D’s first lover but ignored the control that he exercised over Lolita. That his Lolita was still an innocent child after all.
Once you devoid him of the art with words – what is left behind is a sex addict. At least in whole of first part; he comes out as a sex addict who would do anything to have his desires. Just look at the facts - he marries Dolly’s mother to have the child. Is this the way of a lover?
He excuses his actions by telling us that he wants to have his desires without harming anyone but then he fell deeper and deeper. He even gets ideas of killing the mother. He couldn't stand against the temptation to rape her for a single day. He hits the bottom by planning to get a second Lolita from her – and then may be a third one.
He is afraid that he won’t be able to ‘love’ Doleras – once she is an adult. Think of an old guy who would say he doesn't love his wife because she is too old now! Won’t you be quick to call him pervert.
He takes special pains to have Dolly’s submission How much will you value the consent of a twelve year old who just lost her mother; her father- her only family now wants to have sex with her and (as Humbert keeps reminding us) who is just discovering her sexuality.
…. And you must not read much in that he still loved her years later or that she loved him back. They had developed a habit of each other. It wasn't love; if love is not just a stupid habit.
The guilt and the remorse
It is only when she runs away (and thus it is too late) that he remembers what his lust cost the child.
May be; much of what he did was because of a difference in sexual interests – that nature made him so. It was his tragedy. The acts of madness towards end completed his fall. What annoys me is that he took Doleras down with himself.
You are not supposed to like him. Look at what it did to the girl! His opinions are not that of author. At least to me; the book is like those works of art – think Salman Rushdi’s Satanic Verses; through which the artist is trying to point the world to its dirty realities. Most of us want to turn our gaze away – want to forget such things. Yet, these artists – like that boy who laughed at the king in H.C. Anderson’s tale (Emperor’s new clothes) can’t lie to themselves and – not only that they will keep pointing that us; whatever we choose to make of the information. Humbert points out that he was so because of his sexual interests and argues there so many others like him. It is this really that author has pointed out. You can’t derive an author’s opinion from that of his protagonist.
Hamburg and Emma
Besides giving appearance of an ancient Greek tragedy set in modern times; it also reminded me of Madame Bovary. Not only are both books based on taboos but both of them are highly realistic – with out moralizing; and consists of characters who backs their actions with romantic reasons. Both Hamburg and Emma meet tragic ends – and their lust ruin lives of many others as well
Horror movies – ghosts like chucki, It etc; never scared me – not because I’m really brave (which I’m not) but simply because they were not real. What rather scared me were criminals like Hannibal Lecter or Joker (Dark Knight) or John Kramer (from ‘Saw’ movies); because they seemed so real – men who had their philosophy, who had reasons for doing what they did. You would think men with such mentality can exist in real world. Humbert is one of this latter category – only much more real and thus scarier.
This guy has art – he can be poetical, can make you confuse his lust into what-he –want-everybody-to-see--as love. He invents pseudo logic – coining terms like nymphets. He uses the word to describe a girl who has reached sexual maturity earlier than her age but he conveniently forgets to mention that sexual maturity doesn't come with mental maturity. He tells you he wasn't D’s first lover but ignored the control that he exercised over Lolita. That his Lolita was still an innocent child after all.
Once you devoid him of the art with words – what is left behind is a sex addict. At least in whole of first part; he comes out as a sex addict who would do anything to have his desires. Just look at the facts - he marries Dolly’s mother to have the child. Is this the way of a lover?
He excuses his actions by telling us that he wants to have his desires without harming anyone but then he fell deeper and deeper. He even gets ideas of killing the mother. He couldn't stand against the temptation to rape her for a single day. He hits the bottom by planning to get a second Lolita from her – and then may be a third one.
He is afraid that he won’t be able to ‘love’ Doleras – once she is an adult. Think of an old guy who would say he doesn't love his wife because she is too old now! Won’t you be quick to call him pervert.
He takes special pains to have Dolly’s submission How much will you value the consent of a twelve year old who just lost her mother; her father- her only family now wants to have sex with her and (as Humbert keeps reminding us) who is just discovering her sexuality.
…. And you must not read much in that he still loved her years later or that she loved him back. They had developed a habit of each other. It wasn't love; if love is not just a stupid habit.
The guilt and the remorse
It is only when she runs away (and thus it is too late) that he remembers what his lust cost the child.
May be; much of what he did was because of a difference in sexual interests – that nature made him so. It was his tragedy. The acts of madness towards end completed his fall. What annoys me is that he took Doleras down with himself.
You are not supposed to like him. Look at what it did to the girl! His opinions are not that of author. At least to me; the book is like those works of art – think Salman Rushdi’s Satanic Verses; through which the artist is trying to point the world to its dirty realities. Most of us want to turn our gaze away – want to forget such things. Yet, these artists – like that boy who laughed at the king in H.C. Anderson’s tale (Emperor’s new clothes) can’t lie to themselves and – not only that they will keep pointing that us; whatever we choose to make of the information. Humbert points out that he was so because of his sexual interests and argues there so many others like him. It is this really that author has pointed out. You can’t derive an author’s opinion from that of his protagonist.
Hamburg and Emma
Besides giving appearance of an ancient Greek tragedy set in modern times; it also reminded me of Madame Bovary. Not only are both books based on taboos but both of them are highly realistic – with out moralizing; and consists of characters who backs their actions with romantic reasons. Both Hamburg and Emma meet tragic ends – and their lust ruin lives of many others as well