I recently read Lolita and was really conflicted as to whether I liked it or not. In one sense it was an uncomfortable read but I found I couldn’t put it down. I see a lot of people saying that they hate it because Humbert is such a monster but surely that’s the point? Nabokov makes it such an uncomfortable read through putting it in first person; we are meant to slightly sympathise with Humbert (because of his unreliable narration) and then feel disgusted with ourselves. Combined with the ‘American Dream’/Academia/Psychological Thriller aesthetic it’s almost as much a mockery of society and its romanticisation of crime as The Secret History. This is even proven by Lolita’s resurgence in popular aesthetics and romanticisation.

  • EytanThePizzaBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I LOVE Lolita, I think it’s brilliant. Generally, I find that criticizing books over problematic subject matter just isn’t valid. Vile human beings exist, and writing about vile things is no crime. I love how uncomfortable that book made me. It’s part of the experience.

  • runningvicunaBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Best written book I’ve come across. Read it in high school for a book club assignment. I was obsessed with Kubrick, and still am.

    Had it on me when working my dishwashing job and would read some passages and would drop the book to go take a walk.

  • AbirandoBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    In contrast, the prose is absolutely stunning…

  • ksarlathotepBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    It’s definitely supposed to be uncomfortable. I don’t get people who somehow get it into their heads that it glorifies abuse, or sexualizes teenagers, or anything like that - have they not read the book? I don’t know.

    I think one thing that makes it so effective is that while Humbert Humbert is a monster (purposefully, by design), Nabokov is just so damn good at writing in his voice and from his perspective that you find yourself drifting into reading him like a normal human, because that’s how he sees himself, that’s how he talks about himself. He believes he’s in love. He sees nothing wrong with what he does. The writing is exceptional and it draws you along, and then every other page Nabokov shocks you out of it again by going like “oh did you forget we’re following a monster? Noooo yeah we’re following a monster, try to keep that in mind”.