Anonymous wrote:I don’t know what you expect to get from the synopsis— that’s probably the worst way to engage with literature or art. It’s like me saying Robert Mapplethorpe took pictures of penises— what do you think of that?

NP. Even if the photos are "arty", not interested in a gallery full of that kind of art. Likewise, I've skimmed bits of Lolita to better understand the cultural references and the Nabokov phenomenon. Came away with...it's pretty gross, I still don't understand Nabokov-worship, and I don't have enough life left to waste time on a full read-through.

A lot of stuff that people liked in the 50s-70s because the works were topically transgressive seem pretty shite now. I read Myra Breckinridge once while stuck at a ski cabin...another trashy but (once) popular novel. The World According to Garp, etc. Lolita's just slightly more literary than those. Because Nabokov was fancier...foreign, academic, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I read it in high school and loved it. It's disturbing and beautiful.

The language is exquisite - and it's what makes the truly upsetting story go down in such a unique way.

Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta

Also I really sort of hate that people now have these moral judgments about books. They are supposed to be engrossing and upsetting and thought provoking, and to make you think and feel a million different things. We aren't children reading Goodnight Moon - we're adults who are capable of engaging with, even enjoying, terrible beautiful things. Aren't we?

I read it in high school and loved it. It's disturbing and beautiful.

The language is exquisite - and it's what makes the truly upsetting story go down in such a unique way.

Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta

It is a masterfully written book about an absolutely horrific main character. There is a reason it is on so many “best literature” lists. It gave me nightmares, but it is also a remarkable work of art.

What I find horrifying and awful isn’t the book. It’s pretty clear Nabokov was not endorsing the behavior; in fact, much of the genius of the book is the juxtaposition of the mundane with the horror. But the movies that were made are absolutely horrifying to me, because they turned what is a story of child abuse into a “romance.” Those are where you should focus your ire, not the book itself.

I mean -- it's art. It's a reflection of life. People write about all kinds of troubling things. And the book is genius.

If you can't handle it, or just don't want to read anything challenging in this way, by all means go back to your Sophie Kinsella novels.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also read it in my twenties and liked it. Of course that was 20+ years ago and it was a different time. I accepted the story line as horrifying, but enjoyed it regardless.

Same. The plot is disturbing, but something about the tone makes it even more so. I was surprised that I found it worth reading.

+1. What makes the book so disturbing is that the main character sounds normal and not at like the horrible person he is. You see everything through his eyes. I read it 30 years ago, in my early 20s and could understand what it received such praise. As a parent of teen daughters, I don’t know if I would be up for reading it today.

I haven't read Lolita since 2011, but I vividly remember that I was really disturbed by it. Partially because I kind of enjoyed it. Nabokov is a master at putting you inside the mind of someone - even when you don't want to be there. Humbert is completely despicable and because it's all through his point of view and Nabokov is such a great writer, you start to believe Humbert's view of what's happening - that Lolita is seducing him and that everything that happens is actually her fault. I had to fight against that continually, though I wonder if I would have that same experience if I read it as a 46 year woman now.

It's the first book Nabakov wrote in English and it's impressive. But, yeah, it's disgusting. It's worth a read!

Enjoy is not the right term, but I found it fascinating. Read in my earlier 30’s I think. I was reading through classics because I picked up reading post college. Its like watching a train wreck in slo mo, and a man who has no clue how terrible he is. Cough cough…

Anonymous wrote:I also read it in my twenties and liked it. Of course that was 20+ years ago and it was a different time. I accepted the story line as horrifying, but enjoyed it regardless.

Same. The plot is disturbing, but something about the tone makes it even more so. I was surprised that I found it worth reading.

I also read it in my twenties and liked it. Of course that was 20+ years ago and it was a different time. I accepted the story line as horrifying, but enjoyed it regardless.

Anonymous wrote:Full disclosure - I have never read Lolita, but every once in awhile I think about reading it. Something reminded me of it today so I finally looked up the synopsis/summary - and holy crap - it was SO MUCH WORSE than I imagined.

That's really it. If you have read it, I'd like to hear what you think.

lol

I read it a long time ago, in my teens. It’s really well written and really sad. I don’t get why the PP thought it was hilarious. The girls life is ruined and the main character has basically no insight into what a piece of crap he is. At the end of the day, I think it got a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons — basically people were very titillated by it, and it’s kind of sad that books is what he is best remembered for. I don’t think Nabokov was happy with that.
I also can’t really separate its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s with the rock music of the era celebrating relationships with teen girls, the fashion industry at the time sexualiIng young girls, and what we now know about rich people and celebrities abusing teen girls. It’s hard to separate it from Pretty Baby and that whole vibe.

I don’t know what you expect to get from the synopsis— that’s probably the worst way to engage with literature or art. It’s like me saying Robert Mapplethorpe took pictures of penises— what do you think of that?

I read it a long time ago, when I was in my late 20s and it was honestly one of the most hilariously funny books I've ever read in my life. And I've a PhD in literature, so I've read and studied a lot of books.

You don't get a sense of what a book is like in terms of tone, style and voice from reading a synopsis. You just get the plot, or some of it.

Full disclosure - I have never read Lolita, but every once in awhile I think about reading it. Something reminded me of it today so I finally looked up the synopsis/summary - and holy crap - it was SO MUCH WORSE than I imagined.

That's really it. If you have read it, I'd like to hear what you think.