Lolita

Nabokov says in his essay about writing Lolita that for him "a work of fiction exists only insofar as it affords me what I shall bluntly call aesthetic bliss." If I take him at his word, I'll say he did it, if there is a true achievement here, it's the way the writing takes you to a place, a moment, a feeling. In the first part of the book, those feelings and moments did come with a wave of disgust that made it really hard to keep reading. I admit that if I had begun without previous knowledge about Lolita I might have given up. Nabokov does a great job depicting a very specific USA and a very specific way of travelling through the USA. His language play is clearly very intentional and works with the moments and characters really well. I read a portuguese translation by Margarida Vale de Gato and she must have done a great job because somehow it comes through.
That Nabokov did not give any value to didactic or moralizing literature adds a perspective on Lolita as an intentional work that is quite hard to pinpoint. Did the author intend for us to feel things while reading about a child abuser, not wanting to atribute any moral value to what he says or does? Did he think it was possible for most readers to go through this, surf through the amazingly well described moments when Humbert is "lovingly" watching a twelve year old girl and not react viscerally, emotionally and with those, morally? I find that baffling. I'd understand Nabokov better if he'd stated he wanted precisely to imagine the perspective of a pederast. But I'm just one reader of many, wondering about authorial intent on the hardest book to do so.
Ignoring now what Nabokov stated as his intentions or artistic values, I do have to say that it was incredibly well conceived. The way the narrator describes what you presume are his rationalizations and biased interpretations of a girl's behaviour makes your mind work. The way Humbert describes his own actions and feelings, the contrast between accepting he is sick and still considering himself a man in love, manipulated and betrayed by the object of his love, is sometimes overwhelmingly unnerving. That is, I must say, a testament to the power of Nabokov's writing.
I disagree with Nabokov about good literature, good art, its worth and achievement. I like to learn things from a book, I like to be left pondering perspectives, biases, moralities, choices and purposes, I like to leave a book and look around with new lenses. Even when I entirely disagree with an author or the apparent intent of a book, if there's still a lesson, a new idea, or the development of a previous one, it was worth my time. I also like art that is in and of itself an aesthetic experience and nothing more. The thing is, I often feel like I still learn something, about existence, about reality, about myself, when I go through those experiences. I live those experiences. Lolita was such a book, whether the author wanted it to be or not.

For those who have never read Lolita and are considering picking it up, I'd say the writing technique is great, the plot is fine but well told and developed, the "view" from the mind of a paedophile and abuser is well constructed, explored and thought-provoking if one can engage with it. If you think you can withstand the theme, it is a great book. Is it inescapable, an obligatory reference? No, I wouldn't say so. If you think you can't deal with this perspective or this theme, I'd say you should leave it to a later moment in life. To some of us, this moment may never arrive, and that's perfectly ok, obviously.
I don't know yet if I'll read more Nabokov, but I'll probably do so in a few years, away from the shadow of Lolita, to try to enjoy his purported "aesthetic bliss" on some other context.

perfecto, en todos los sentidos.

vladimir nabokov’s lolita is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. i read this 2 years ago but its exploration of obsession, manipulation, and morality still continues to provoke thoughts in my head. it’s a book that lingers in your mind, both for its literary excellence and the discomfort it evokes. the way its written contrasts starkly with the darkness of the story, making it both beautiful and disturbing.

made me want to rip my face off

wow i want to have his mind, his brain, his knowledge EVERYTHING !! what a language master!! i could cry at his writing it’s beautifully crafted, the words flow smoothly and they intricate like a poetry. he’ll make you feel a strange emotional paradox while reading lolita !! one moment u feel mesmerized by its beauty and then boom you snap back into reality and youre deeply unsettled by whats happening and you’ll think wow disgusting humbert just manipulated me and i allowed that happen just bc of his eloquent english and pretentious use of french?? it’s a cognitive dissonance 😭😭😭😭 ( i think his use of language will have a lasting impact on me (and i will never shut up about it))

The book Lolita is a profoundly unsettling exploration of human depravity and moral ambiguity that earns its place as a literary classic. Despite my revulsion towards Humbert Humbert's despicable actions and manipulation of Dolores Haze, or Lolita, Nabokov's masterful prose captivated me from start to finish. Dolores deserved far better than the fate Humbert imposed upon her, and his character left me grappling with the complexities of morality and the nature of obsession. Nabokov's ability to evoke such visceral reactions while probing the depths of human psychology is a testament to his literary prowess.

** spoiler alert ** u lolity jsem se hodně bála toho, zda mi u čtení nebude špatně a jestli jí vůbec dokážu dočíst. je to ostatně jedna z nejvíc kontroverzních knih na světě. naštěstí mě ale příjemně překvapila. příběh vypráví o naší hlavní postavě humbertu humbertovi, který odjíždí do ameriky a tam nachází dvanáctiletou dolores haze, do které se na první pohled zamiluje. tak zaprvé; očekávejte, že humbert není sympatická postava. je to postava, která je naschvál napsaná tak, aby se vám co možná nejvíce hnusila. a myslím, že nabokov tento účel splnil. celá kniha je o vztahu humberta a lolity, takže pokud vám toto téma nedělá dobře, knize se vyhněte. lolita je velice 'filozoficky' napsaná kniha, takže čekejte, že mezi dějem vám hlavní postava bude 6 stran filozofovat nebo do nejmenšího detailu popisovat jakékoli maličkosti. dá se to ale přežít. teď se konečně dostávám k mým pocitům; tahle kniha se mi líbila! humbert byl zajímavá postava, i když jsem ho nesnášela. měl v sobě šarm, díky kterému mu celá ta věc s lolitou prostě a jednoduše procházela. hodně lidí si myslí, že nabokov je vpodstatě humbert, protože proč by jinak psal o něčem tak odporném, jako je pedofilie. když ale začnete dávat při čtení pozor na detaily, všimnete si, že sám autor se své postavě vysmívá. popis jeho přemýšlení je prostě místy tak absurdní, že se musíte sami pro sebe usmát a poděkovat nabokovovi za odlehčení situace. zároveň je humbert ten typ vypravěče, kterému nesmíte věřit. měla jsem třeba problém s lolitou - je vyzívavá, takže co když měla na celé té věci nějaký podíl? ne. i když je v knize napsáno, že lolita svedla humberta jako první, nesmíme zapomínat na to, že humbert říká to, co říkat chce. vždyť ta kniha je něco jako deníkové zápisky. asi se v tom už ztrácím, takže to zkrátím; rozhodně to za přečtení stojí. když prohlédnete za oponu a snažíte se v tom cítit to, co cítil autor, když knihu psal, stane se z toho úplně jiný zážitek. zkuste si chování lolity vyložit vícero způsoby (s tím mi hodně pomohla filmová adaptace, tu také doporučuji) a budete překvapeni, čeho všeho si všimnete navíc. . 4*/5*, byla jsem až překvapena, jak se mi tato klasika líbila.

300 pages of poetry - even if the words are ramblings of a definite pedophile and likely schizophrenic - is still poetry. The classic novel that causes folks to stare whilst reading in public lived up to hype. Frenetic, manic writing that does not cease until the last page as our anti-hero and unreliable narrator details every emotion and desire he has for the nymphet Lolita (actually Dolores). Grippingly sad and disturbing, it is as if you've entered the mind of someone you don't want to know. Love, lust, lying, abuse, abduction and Americana all play a role as Lo and Hubert crisscross the county. Remarkable and revolting all at once.

part one was really engaging, but i felt as though part two had a lot of unnecessary detail that went over my head, until the very end. but it is beautiful prose

I don't know how to express my thoughts about this book without being tiringly unoriginal: repellent narrator and story, but the -in my understanding- intentionally mannered and overwrought prose is so astoundingly executed, consistently multilayered, allusive, and punning, for the duration of the novel. The only problem with reading the book (other than the mild nausea that naturally accompanies you throughout the journey) is that I now find my inability to write correct, remotely non-repulsive sentences in English, insufferable.

had to read this in college for a "women in film and literature class".. and i found i have a love-hate relationship with the book, and its characters....

Unfortunately, a stunning novel. The most disturbingly entrancing literature I’ve ever read.

i want to throw up, rip the skin off my body, tear the ears off my head, gauge my eyes out of my skull, and never read another book again, i hated this so much it was absolutely wonderful

wat can I say. a rite of passage. LAWLS!!!!! 2nd time reading. watched the jeremy irons version ♥*♡∞:｡.｡

A very conflicting book. Some parts were interesting, but much of it was interminably boring. I did appreciate the theme of how we are capable of building someone up in our minds to heights that they can never achieve and then becoming disillusioned when they don't live up to the fantasy we had concocted. Unfortunately, once the actual plot of the book starts, you realize that neither the narrator nor Lolita are pleasant company, but you're stuck with them in a hot car as they travel across the country, taking zero interest in anything except their own personal miseries. Not pleasant reading, not something I will ever read again, but still worth the time.

A deliciously twisted roadtrip through American culture.

Is it a sin to genuinely enjoy every single word about male-gaze pedophilia towards someone's daughter? Seperate the fiction and reality, kid. Blown everyone's mind.

Brilliant and disturbing. This book actually took me forever to finish bc I first picked it up as a teenager and I lost interest in it for a while thinking it was a daunting, classic read. But the fact that I just finished reading this as an adult made me immerse myself in this writing that simply sucked me in for what it offered. Humbert’s narration is unreliable but Nabokov’s writing is scarily good at convincing me as a reader that somehow, Lolita had a role in his perverse decisions. Sick, scandalous and spectacular!

pas une histoire d'amour, mais une histoire d'obsession

Incredibly messed up narrative that is crazily romanticized, the only good thing is the writing style which is beautiful

amazing ending. bit of a drag in the middle though. good throughout but not as revelatory as i was hoping

it's taken me a long time to get round to writing a review for Lolita, primarily because I wanted to convey the multitude of emotions this novel made me experience - as uncomfortable as they were. I found myself pitying Humbert at times while also constantly feeling disgusted by his beliefs and actions. This juxtaposition is testament to Nabokov's skill as a writer: the ability to make a character such as Humbert so detestable, while also evoking an air of sorrow around him is admirable. Lolita is the kind of book you think about even when you aren't reading it, I certainly found myself wondering why I pitied him - perhaps it is because he didn't choose to feel this way...? It is easy to focus on Humbert as he is such an objectionable character, yet I feel the need to emphasise how subtly Nabokov succeeded in showing the damage that has been done to Lolita. She is the eponymous character of the book, and the effects Humbert undoubtedly had on her life (particularly psychologically) is really difficult to ignore. This book was uncomfortable to read, but I think that's a good thing. Sometimes it's important to read things that make one grimace, to remind yourself that this can be a reality. I still don't really know how I feel about this novel a few months on, but I doubt I ever really will. What I do know is that I will be recommending this book to pretty much everyone - just be mindful of the very obvious triggers.

Was too disturbed to get into it and analyze it from a psychological standpoint. I'm sorry.