Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Lolita
Book Review: An Absorbing and Complex book
Summary: 5 Stars
Like John Fowle's "The Collector" this book draws you into an almost unbearable sympathy with the protagonist. Humbert Humbert comes across at times as so reasonable a person that you almost feel sorry for him and then he says or does something vile and your feelings are once more turned on their head. The whole novel is about ambiguity and the "grey areas" in human beings that we like to ignore in favour of the black and white. I love the fact that no one in this book comes out innocent or heroic. It is deeply disturbing in that it asks questions most people would rather not think about and I love it.Book Review: Uh...Brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
I liked this book so much that i actually wrote a 4,500 word essay on it for my english coursework. And even after months of analysing it still take huge pleasure in simply reading it!Book Review: A terrifying book about paedophila
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this recently out of curiosity: I was wondering what all the fuss was about, and I was wondering how a child abuser saw his own actions, because something that is inexplicable to me is how anyone with a conscience can commit such crimes. What I found almost more terrifying than the book itself was the response to it (the edition I read had a small selection of critics' views at the back): so many people seem to have read it as a beautiful love story; indeed, one of the reviewers on this site has said "it tells you how to love". Perhaps the original reviewers were right in seeing this book as dangerous, for such mis-reading is worrying.It is masterfully written, but I think Nabokov knew what he was talking about. Unless you are determined to read it as the helpless love of an older man for a young minx, you will see his condemnation of Humbert's crimes, for it takes to new heights the fashion of writing in which a narrator artlessly reveals far more than he intended. Humbert may begin writing as if he is devotedly in love with his "nymphet", but a frightening pattern of control and abuse emerges, to the point where we realise that this child is not only being appallingly manipulated, she is also being repeatedly raped. And he still sees it as love. It is a gripping portrayal of a man with horrendous desires who manages to convince himself of their legitimacy, and maybe that is how the millions upon millions of men who are doing just this on a daily basis manage to evade their consciences. The frequent beauty and poetry of the writing only adds to the horror; at times I was unable to continue reading. There are also many touches of humour, black of course, and Humbert is, despite all this, a fascinating narrator.
A brave and original look at a wide-spread problem which society still shoves under the rug, to be read carefully!
Book Review: A definite classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is undoubtedly one of the best books ever written. The language is amazing; sensual, poetic and full of texture. Ignore anyone who tells you that this is a book about paedophilia. It`s a sensitive portrayal of a man weighed down by his obsession with Lolita and an intelligent representation of their time together.Book Review: Breath Taking
Summary: 5 Stars
A beutifully writen masterpiece, often desturbing but always interesting, dont be scared off by negative reviews just read it and make up your own mind, dont believe anyone who says that this is just an excuse for smut as they obviously have not read or understood the book.I must say that i dont think this book should be read by youngsters or people who have trouble telling the difference between fiction and reality!