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A Book Review of Vladimir Nabokov's, Lolita
A piece of advice before you begin this book. Approach it with as open a mind as you can manage, but remember, you will still find yourself pushing at the limits of disbelief as you read. The book talks about an ageing protagonist’s obsession with a young girl, a nymphet, as he calls her, who is only twelve years old when he first meets her. This is a story of perversion and debauchery, but it is told with such self-deprecating humour and such strange beautiful imagery that you find yourself wanting to read more. Humbert Humbert (no, this is not a typo!), the central character of Lolita, is a lodger at the Haze House, and finds himself falling desperately in lust with Mrs. Haze’s pre-pubescent daughter, Dolores, or Dolly, whom he calls Lolita. He finds a number of small ways in which to satisfy his longing for her, such as squeezing up against her in the car, or caressing her as he talks to her mother, or even holding her feet in his lap as he achieves ‘the heights of pleasure’. Eventually to ensure that he stays close to his darling, and to assuage the mother’s suspicion, he marries the widowed Mrs. Haze. He plans to kill her throughout the many pages that follow the marriage, but can never bring himself to, until finally she dies in an accident. Humbert rushes off to take Dolly out of summer camp, and then takes her on a long road trip, either spending extravagantly on her or staying with her in cheap motels. There are a number of fascinating contradictions within the two central characters. Dolly, sometimes childishly amused by her hold on Humbert, sometimes scornful of his slavish admiration, and sometimes resentful of his authority over her is wonderfully intriguing innocent-knowing young girl. The man himself, though, is the masterpiece. You don’t just see the facets of his personality; you look straight into the ‘tangle of thorns’ that is his mind. He loves Dolly beyond all measure, he is insanely attracted to her child-like body, and he is so fiercely possessive that although he craves her, he does not want to ruin her innocence. None of this, however, redeems him. Nabokov uses every literary device possible, from the usual physical descriptions, to Dolly’s mannerisms and slangy speech, to remind us that she is just a child. The horror of it is disguised by Humbert’s dry wit, and constant self-mockery, but it is present throughout. One of the most upsettingly memorable moments of the novel is Humbert’s arousal by the heat of Dolly’s body when she is burning with fever, and the way he rationalizes his subsequent actions. Lolita, though it deals with themes that have been dealt with before, is unusual in that it makes you see the other side of the story. As a reader, you are always given vivid glimpses of Dolly’s trauma, but more importantly, Humbert’s side is revealed, whether it is the truth, or the story he is telling himself. Searching for a moral in Lolita is futile; by the author’s own admission, there is none. Instead you have dark humour, descriptions of love and sex couched in the most unexpected phrases, and above all, language that sparkles its way through the book. What you should read Lolita for is the sudden gasping realization that you will feel when you catch yourself empathizing with him at some point. There are very few books that can fool you into believing yourself to be on a moral pedestal, and then suddenly knock you off without warning. Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. Are you a book author yourself? Find out how to market your book. Contact Chillibreeze for your content requirements.
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