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Lolita
Lolita

Lolita

By
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
1955 • 376 pages

Ratings85

Average rating3.9

15
Book InfoReviews7Editions102Lists52Feed15

Lolita is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert, is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, whom he sexually molests after he becomes her stepfather. "Lolita" is his private nickname for Dolores. The novel was originally written in English and first published in Paris in 1955 by Olympia Press. Later it was translated into Russian by Nabokov himself and published in New York City in 1967 by Phaedra Publishers.

---------- Also contained in: - [Собрание сочинений русского периода в пяти томах: Смех в темноте / Lolita](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL22529308W) - [Novels 1955-1962](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL20643775W/Novels_1955-1962) - [Works: Ada / Lolita](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17687842W/Ada_Lolita)

Tags

Genres

  • Classics
  • Fiction

Moods

  • dark
  • sad
  • tense

Content Warnings

  • child abuse
  • Rape
  • Sexual assault

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

mari
Mari@mariadmin

Nope. I have actually never read something so stomach-churning until now. At least I can read Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi with a little more context. DNF.

January 30, 2023
hwancroos
Juan Cruz@hwancroos

Lolita es un canto a la literatura, es una demostración (u ostentación) del poder de la palabra. Lo que mirado desde un punto de vista objetivo no es más que una larga confesión de una monstruosidad atroz, bajo la pluma de Nabokov se transforma en una experiencia subjetiva y compleja, en la que no pocos lectores acaban -sobre todo hacia el final- sintiendo pena o incluso acaso empatía por Humbert. He ahí el poder de la palabra y su debatible valor frente a la objetividad de los hechos, cuestión central en nuestra actualidad.

Fue una lectura que por momentos se me hizo difícil, no por la prosa de Nabokov, sino justamente por lo que se narra. Hay cuestiones muy duras de digerir, sobre todo aquello que Humbert elige contar -no sin inocencia- a la pasada: los dolores físicos, los llantos diarios de Lolita, esas pequeñas alertas objetivas de la realidad que se cuelan en el relato. Y la lectura, justamente debido al gran talento de Nabokov, implica también envolverse en una atmósfera densa y oscura, en la mente de un perverso pedófilo, de manera tal que, por momentos, bajar el libro implicaba un alivio.

Quizás hoy el personaje de Humbert no sea tan ajeno para quien haya mirado alguno de los tantos documentales de Netflix sobre criminales. Lo que sorprende es que Nabokov le haya impreso características tan atinadas -narcisismo, sentimiento de superioridad intelectual, la formulación de autoengaños y antecedentes históricos para justificarse, la desviación de culpa- justamente sin tener acceso a esos recursos. Personalmente creo que debió conocer a alguien como Humbert, y debió conocerlo bien.

Excelente lectura.

September 16, 2022
mappy
Jaylen Manley@mappy

I enjoyed it, was very interesting considering you are rooting against the protagonist the whole book. I hope to re read in the future and understand the clues that Nabokov leads throughout the book leading to Quincy's reveal. Overall I can see how this book impacted America greatly.

January 18, 2017
macnbooks
mari@macnbooks

if you read this like frankenstein or turn of the screw, it's incredible

April 24, 2020

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