Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Lolita

by Vladimir Nabokov

Spoiler alert: The book is controversial, so not for an easy and
pleasant reading, since it talks about the topic of pedophilia.

 

Hi, here I am with a new review.

Today I'm going to do the review of Lolita, written by the Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. I've came across this book because my cousin suggested me to read it, even though it has been on my to read list for a long time.

The novel is famous because of its controversial subject. The protagonist, a middle-aged literature professor that goes under the nickname of Humbert Humbert, is obsessed with Dolores Haze, a 12 years old girl, with whom he becomes the tutor by being hosted by her mother in their house. He's an unreliable narrator.

Later he will become sexually involved with the girl after he becomes her stepfather by marrying Mrs. Haze. He will give Dolores a private nickname, "Lolita", that gives the title to the book. The name "Lolita" has been assimilated in our popular culture and used to imply that a young girl is sexually precocious. Dolores and him will then travel around the country when the mother accidentally dies. A lot of consequences will happen to both the characters.

Lolita quickly attained a classic status and it's considered to be a cult book. The novel was then adapted into a film by Stanley Kubrik in 1962, and then in 1997 by Adrian Lyne. It has also been adapted in musicals, ballets and operas.

It has been considered as one of the greatest work of the 20th by many authors and listed as one of the best books by Time, Le Monde and many others.

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I need to admit that I was really into reading this book at first, but as soon as I started it, I was really shocked by how he could go around, flirting with her, without any consequences. The more I read and the more I understood that it was going against everything I believed in, but also I was more attracted to it, because the plot was thickening and the situation was getting worse for Humbert, which made me feel better. 

The end of the book is both sad and happy, that's why I liked it, because you have a realistic ending.