Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
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Web ID: 15624108Disgustingly Beautiful
Way better than the film interpretations for sure.
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I Wish More People Had Reading Comprehension
Of his work that I've read, I don't even think this is Nabokov at his best––not even close––but it's nothing short of tragic to see how widely and frequently people misinterpret the meaning of this text in order to apply the easiest, most obvious morality to it. (Depiction does not equal endorsement!)
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Favorite Book of All Time
Screaming, crying, throwing up. It’s obviously a masterpiece that everyone MUST read one time. It’s disturbing but also infatuating beautiful. Everyone should have to read the story of Dolores Haze and her abuser Humbert Humbert. Nabokov is a genius. If you aren’t sobbing by the end i don’t know who hurt you.
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Themes and notable quotes
Five major themes of the book are: Obsession: The narrator, Humbert Humbert, becomes obsessed with the young girl Lolita, and his desire for her consumes his thoughts and actions. Pedophilia: Humbert Humbert is a pedophile and his relationship with Lolita is inappropriate and abusive. Deception: Humbert Humbert is constantly deceiving others, including Lolita, in order to pursue his obsession. Identity: Lolita is searching for her own identity and trying to escape the control of Humbert Humbert. Power dynamics: The power dynamics between Humbert Humbert and Lolita are complex and shifting, with Humbert Humbert often using his power and control to manipulate Lolita. Notable quotes from the novel include: "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta." - Humbert Humbert "I was entranced by the magic of nymphets, and, as I entered my teens, I knew that only with a nymphet would I be able to relax and give myself completely." - Humbert Humbert "I am thinking of aurochs and angels, the secret of durable pigments, prophetic sonnets, the refuge of art. And this is the only immortality you and I may share, my Lolita." - Humbert Humbert "I have always had the ability to perceive the sinister and the absurd, the two being sometimes identical." - Humbert Humbert "I was still the same Humbert Humbert, but with a difference, a difference that made all the difference." - Humbert Humbert
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Read, Quite Disturbing
When I originally read this book, I didn't know there was controversy about it as well as how known this book is. In the beginning, I did find it hard to follow along. I felt you had to concentrate deeply to understand what was happening. The language that is used can be difficult to comprehend, especially when it comes to the French terms that were used. Even though the book was quite disturbing, I felt like the universal issue that is discussed was written fittingly, especially from a criminal and sinister point of view as illustrated in the book. Some of the details were difficult to read as it was brutally graphic, but it make me more aware of the issue from a different perspective.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing
One of my favorites. Definitely makes you remind yourself who the narrator is as a person behind all his woes and lovely writing.
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Well Written - Controversial Read
Extremely well done. It is quite disturbing and I was not sure if I would finish the book but I did. The book is written from the point of view of a sick, disturbed man and his relationship with a young, 12 year old girl. It is a literary work so I suppose you could look past it for the sake of the story. You get an inside look into his mind and hand all be is not incredibly reliable as a narrator but still, I am conflicted.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com