Lolita

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Summary: Lolita awakens the perverse side in us
Review: Before I started reading the book I had no idea what it was about. As I started reading it I thought only a horrible person could treat a subject so serious as incest as a lifetime pleasure. But as I read along Nabokov's words takes you into a third dimension. His line of thought hipnotizes you while you enter his world. After this you can't judge him, but only comprehend his happiness and sorrows. I highly recommend this book although I recognize it is not for the average "J. Grisham" reader. GM

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Summary: Sting never really read this book
Review: I read above reviews and am kind of shocked. 'Lolita' about Love? There is not love anywhere in this story! Who loves who? Lolita never loves HH; he never loves her (or why would he get off listening to her whimper at night?) I avoided Lolita for years because I THOUGHT i knew the story, from references in print and Police songs. The real love between an aging man and a 14 year old ahead of her age. Boy, was that wrong. How can the press use the name 'Lolita' asa euphamism for seductress? The character of Lolita is nothing of the kind. Shokcingly, this is not a story of love --she never loves Humbert--but a story of rape and kidnapping. All 'love' is twisted, seen thru the eyes of a sick child molester. How can anyone sympathize with HH? His language is magnificent, but isn't Nabokov trying to show us how easy it is to be seduced by a glossy sheen? Isn't Humbert the America of the analogy--attractrive and powerful from the outside, twisted wihtin, and Lolita Old World Europe--innocently raped by the Power she respects as a savior? Whatever the allegories, I was stunned at how Lolita is the story of a child abuser (when HH tells Lolita that if she reports him, she'll end up in a foster home suffering 'worse rapes than mine', and how he delights in hearing her cry into her pillow when she thinks he is asleep--these are truly sadistic, sick moments of abuse) I'll never again call a 9 year olf with big eyes a 'lolita'--Lolita is a victim, her life destroyed by Humbert. Maybe Sting never really read this book. The language is, of course, hypnotizing, dazzeling, life-changing. The metaphors dizzying ("I probed her gently but firmly for answers. The way a gynecologist probes for tumors") Genius, yes--but not for its 'Love'. For its uncovering and unmasking of judging a book by its cover.

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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: 'Lolita' is not what I expected. Through the entire book I kept thinking about real life Lolitas and how they survive in our society. This book reminds me of another book, 'Life and Death on the Internet' by Keith A Schroeder. This book shows so-called Lolitas in action. It is interesting, sometimes disturbing (both books), but never boring.

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Summary: a terrific read for a mature audience
Review: LOLITA, from the start, is a beautiful work of prose, intermingled daintily with French idioms... a delightful perusal of the above-average pedophile's stream of consciousness.

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Summary: a terific novel
Review: I think it's langush is wonderful it has a glossary vocabulory

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Summary: Unrequited love? A masterpiece of a book!
Review: Before i began reading Lolita, i automatically judged Humbert. I thought he was the most disgusting, perverted man. However, as i progressed through the book, i felt like i understood. Nabokov's description of Lolita and Humbert's relationship made me see the other side of "madness" called LOVE. Lolita is very hypnotic...it "reels" you in and you are forever hooked to the story. The fact that Nobokov edited out the details when it came to Lolita and Humbert's sexual relationship only made the book excell. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover the other "dark" side of LOVE, OBSESSION.

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Summary: In times like these, I wish I knew more French!
Review: The language used in this one-of-a-kind novel reminded me of a painting. It brings up so much emotion in the reader, that "Lolita" is un-put-down-able. (I was up until 4:00 in the morning, engrossed in Humbert Humbert's cross-country journey with his little "nymphet.") Surprisingly, I did not find the great amount of French in the book to be an obstacle. It did not take away from the clarity of the book and, if anything, it made me wish I also knew French, so I wouldn't miss the beautiful word-pictures! To fully appreciate this book, I had to concentrate on the elaborate language and the bizarre plot, so I would not recommend reading it in a loud restaurant with dishes clanging, waitresses yelling at the cooks in the back, and the indistinguishable garble of the other customers. But with the intriguing story-line and "real" characters, you will WANT to give "Lolita" your undivided attention.

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Summary: poor humbert humbert
Review: i feel a fool for not having read this ages ago. despite being a self-confessed monster, humbert is so witty, stylish, poetic, intelligent and passionate about his nymphet that the reader can't help but sympathize with him. and relate to the insane, destructive and driven behavior of a person totally in love. but lest you think this is some dreary work... no! this is also a very funny book, full of puns, witty constructs and totally off the wall observations; if you can get past the politically-incorrect subject matter you'll find a very rewarding read.

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Summary: Tasteful treatment of a very tasteless type of relationship
Review: I purchased this book to see how the author would describe the sexual relationship between Humbert and Lolita. There is very little of it in this book, and this lack contributes to the book's greatness. Nabokov treated this subject discreetly and tastefully by omitting graphic descriptions of sex. This is the only way he could have done so, since the subject is taboo. My hat is off to Nabokov.

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Summary: What's the point?
Review: Nabokov explicitly points out that this book wasn't written to shock; what's left is a boring story where little happens. The characterization of the protagonist is very well done, however. Not worth the hype.