The fabulously famous first line:
“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.”
Lolita is the classic tale of Humbert Humbert, who becomes obsessed with 12 year old Dolores (Lolita) Haze. Told from the first person point of view, the first part of the book features Humbert’s lascivious musings on Lolita. For almost half the book, the reader hears from Humbert about how smart and cultured (and mad) he is, how he’s attracted to nymphets, and how Lolita is, well, the light of his life and the fire of his loins. The second part of the book then takes the reader on a journey, as Humbert abducts Lolita, forces her to have sex (although never explicit, the reader can imagine all of the various acts Lolita is subjected to) and takes her on a cross-country journey to evade any potential hindrances to his obsession. In the end, we watch Humbert spiral out of control, as madness, jealousy, and paranoia get the best of him.
I finished reading Lolita with mixed feelings. Here are a few of my thoughts:
- I’m glad I read it, but I don’t think it will ever be a book that I can say I loved
- I’m impressed by Nabokov’s skill with words, but I got tired of looking things up in the dictionary…in fact, some of the language makes this book a bit inaccessible. And yes, I realize that was the point, but still…
- Humbert Humbert (hereafter referred to as HH) may have wanted my sympathy, but he never got it
- The second half of the book went places I never expected, including Lolita’s future, and I’m still not sure I like the book for that…not Lolita’s fate (or should I say McFate?), but the whole Quilty imbroglio (I like to think HH would approve of that word) (although he’s probably spinning in his grave over my excessive use of parentheses)
- I spent the entire book under the assumption that HH was in jail for abduction and rape (although I’m guessing that’s not uncommon)…so kudos for that surprise. And really, given all of HH’s thoughts of murder throughout the book, maybe it shouldn’t have been such a surprise.
- I’m convinced 95% of the book went right over my head
Given that last bullet point, I set off on an internet journey to gain a better understanding of this book that so many either love or hate. One of the first things I discovered was that the character of Annabel Leigh (HH’s first love) was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” (I knew that name sounded familiar!):
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love -
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me -
Yes! that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud one night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we -
Of many far wiser than we -
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling -my darling -my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea -
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
I do believe Nabokov has forever ruined this poem for me. Not that I go around reading or quoting Annabel Lee, but the “I was a child and she was a child” line just conjures up images from the book that I don’t really want to see. Although I still wish I had figured out the name when I first saw it. I remain convinced that I am a reading rube (I’m sure HH agrees…probably Nabokov, too).
And okay, that has nothing to do with my list, but I still thought it was interesting. Now, returning to my list…
Even after cheating and reading the Sparks Notes online, this is a hard book to like. I am impressed with what Nabokov was aiming for…to garner sympathy for his protagonist through the use of language, and to leave hints for the reader through the use of wordplay, but I don’t think I could ever say that the book and it’s language seduced me. Because ewwww. HH is just so full of himself, so sure that his cultured ways and brilliant mind made him superior to everyone, that he ended up being repulsive. And also, this made the end ring not so true for me. Because by the end, HH isn’t exactly remorseful, but he does acknowledge his part in ending Lolita’s childhood. And coming from someone who was so superior throughout most of the novel, as well as someone who portrayed Lolita as the seducer, it seemed a bit odd. Plus, he had that whole unreliable narrator thing going for him.
Nabokov once said “Lolita is a special favourite of mine. It was my most difficult book—the book that treated of a theme which was so distant, so remote, from my own emotional life that it gave me a special pleasure to use my combinational talent to make it real.” And I know that Nabokov was not HH. I don’t subscribe to the belief that authors are responsible for their characters traits and actions. Just because HH was a pedophile does not make Nabokov one, or even supportive of pedophilia. However, from this and other quotes, I do see just a bit of HH’s vanity in his author. The book, and the author, actually remind me a bit of the whole Owen Meany/John Irving experience.
I know I always say that I won’t reread books (you know that saying, so many books…), but this is actually a book that begs to be read again. And I might just have to, if for no other reason so that I can can catch all of the references to Quilty that I overlooked in my first reading. And also to try to appreciate the language more. Maybe I should follow in Care’s footsteps and pick up the annotated version. Lolita might just have to be a Banned Books Week yearly event. Although maybe I should just take Nabokov’s advice:
“Curiously enough, one cannot read a book; one can only reread it. A good reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is a re-reader.”
And now that I’ve spent hours thinking about this book, and trying to write about, I think it’s time to put this post to bed.
********************
Care, Rochelle and I (and anyone else that would like to join in) are doing a read-along of this book. If you have a Lolita post that you’d like to share, leave me a link in the comments and I’ll do a round-up of the posts later this week/next week.
I think I liked it more than you did.
But that’s ok.
http://chris-book-a-rama.blogspot.com/2007/04/vladimir-nabokovs-lolita-review.html
Chris@bookarama´s last blog ..Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley: Review
I didn’t like it. But I didn’t not like it, either. If that makes sense.
Lolita is such a hard read and so difficult to fully grasp. I really love the first line. I haven’t read this book in a few years and like you said, it’s one of those books that greatly deserves a reread but, like you, I also rarely ever devote time to rereading when there are so many books out there that I have yet to read.
Stephanie´s last blog ..Library Loot: September 29, 2009
I know, I’m always so reluctant to spend time on a reread when I could be experiencing something new and different.
Great review! I read Lolita last year (I think I reviewed it, I can’t remember) and I agree with your point about 90% of it going over my head – I am pretty sure that I missed the significance of most of the book. I appreciated the writing, but I really, really cannot find any sympathy for HH. Perhaps one day I’ll attempt this one again, but for now I’m just proud that I’ve read it once.
Heather´s last blog ..Blankets by Craig Thompson
I do consider it quite the accomplishment that I finished.
You’ve written an honest and well thought out review. I read Lolita many years ago and was surprised at how much I liked it. I had heard so many things about it, as it’s one of those books that have sunk into the collective consciousness so that even if you haven’t read the book itself you’re familiar with the main story. It’s not an easy book to read and the main characters, both HH and Lolita, are not easy to like or sympathise with. The fact that he makes you want to reread the book shows what a great writer Nabokov is.
chasing bawa´s last blog ..Film: Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls)
Thanks…I think I need some distance, and then a reread to gain some appreciation for Nabokov.
I may be one of the few that feel this way but I thought Lolita was a little shit! Yes, she was a child by definition but she was also a barracuda. That’s not to say that old men that get pulled into that type of seduction should be pardoned, far from it but I didn’t consider her an innocent either.
My book club didn’t get this book at all. They read it and pretty much said that they could have skipped it. I thought it was very complex and layered and enjoyed the act of picking it apart.
Ti´s last blog ..Guest Post: Matthew Pearl on Serial Thrillers & a GIVEAWAY!
I think most of the characters were strangely lacking in morals. Or even common sense. Lolita always seemed a bit removed to me, but when they settled in Beardsley her shittiness definitely came out.
This is one book I would like to read just to experience it, but I admit I’ve been putting it off forever because of the subject matter. Thank you for your great review, Jill. It does sound like it’s a difficult book to read on a couple of levels, but still worth taking the time to try.
Literary Feline´s last blog ..Review: In the Woods by Tana French
I think the writing is more difficult than the content. Yes, the subject matter is disturbing, but the flowerly language of the narrator can be a bit distracting (not to mention incomprehensible).
I’ve read this at least twice, but not for years (like since the 1980s). I remember liking it and I remember the plot. I don’t really remember much else. Nice review. I like your bullet point approach. I’m with Ti — I didn’t see Lolita as very innocent.
Beth F´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday (September 30)
No, definitely not an innocent…but even less innocent after HH!
I didn’t realize that about the poem, but of course! It makes perfect sense. Thank you for pointing it out. And I’m tempted to pick up the annotated edition one of these days too.
Spark Notes can be good for something!
Thankfully I don’t remember much of the book for it to ruin that poem for me. But anyway, I also couldn’t feel sympathetic towards either HH or Lolita. Although, I was really, really impressed by Nabokov’s writing. (Still, not enough to eradicate my disdain for HH.) So while I may never give this book a space on my shelves, I hope some of his others do make it there. I plan to read Pale Fire and hope fare better with that. Do you plan to read his other works, too?
claire´s last blog ..The Part About Archimboldi
I don’t know if I’m quite up to that task!
This one has been on my shelf for a while. Have you read more by Nabokov?
Diane´s last blog ..Waiting on Wednesday
Nope, this was my intro to Nabokov. Well, except for that line in The Police’s song.
I know I probably should read this, but it just doesn’t appeal to me, especially after your review.
Kathy´s last blog ..Wondrous Words Wednesday
Well, now you have more time for all those other books.
I read “Lolita” a while back, and I don’t remember very much about the last part of the book — I think I was skimming at that point. I seem to recall that it became weaker towards the end. I also seem to remember Lolita being more innocent at the beginning, but more manipulative later — probably because she learned it from HH.
It seemed to me that HH was sort of into arrested adolescence — that he fell for Lolita because he still remembered the young girl he was in love with (she died, right?). That’s interesting about the parallel between that story and Poe’s poem (and he ended up marrying a 13 year old, didn’t he).
Hope you do decide to re-read this next year — it will motivate me to re-read Lolita to refresh my memory!
Valerie´s last blog ..Two Queens: Nefertiti and Cleopatra; and Related Thoughts
The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that a reread is called for. And a year should be about that right length of time to give me some distance!
I know I will read this someday…but not in the near future! Someday when I have enough time to read these kind of books… i just can’t right now with my state of affairs right now.
Veens´s last blog ..A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
It calls for lots of concentration…more than I gave it, that’s for sure.
Wow. I’m glad my high school English teacher didn’t have a thing for Russian literature; this book sounds like a haul. The unreliable narrator thing is one of my major pet peeves in novels, too.
So I read Lolita in Junior High and remember the basics, but after reading your post I think a re-read would be really useful. I think I missed a lot of things in the writing. Not to mention it may change greatly with me being more mature now.
Joanne´s last blog ..Graphic Novels v.4 ♦ Spookiness Abounds
As I read this very well-written review, the news was telling me all about Roman Polanski! I’m hoping to give Lolita some concentrated time this weekend. I didn’t read a page yesterday.
Care´s last blog ..New Zealand Book Month
I read this book in 2001 and just loved it. I was definitely seduced by the language (but I love word-play – Nabokov is one of my favorite writers). I love the last couple things you say in your review, because by far the thing that irritates me most when people talk about Nabokov and Lolita is the assumption that he is in some way supportive of pedophilia. Considering how thoroughly – language-wise – he destroys HH and any garnered sympathy for HH by the end, i think it’s pretty clear that Nabokov is violently anti-pedophilia.
But you’re right: Nabokov did have a streak of vanity. And honestly, I think in some ways, he deserved to have this. He spoke multiple languages fluently, was a genius in many fields, had a better vocabulary in his third language than most native speakers have, etc. His writing is brilliant, but he also, in some books, succumbs to his vanity – it’s his weakness. I didn’t see that so much in Lolita, but that’s definitely true in books like Pale Fire. Nabokov is a man I would have loved to meet, but at the same time, if imagine I wouldn’t have lived up to his standards. For some reason, I still can’t fault him for that.
(Sorry for the super-long comment)
Amanda´s last blog ..September in Review
OK, I’ll admit it — I knew next to nothing at all about this novel before reading your review! Other than the fact that it’s a very famous piece of literature.
I’m sure I would agree with many of your points about the novel, and I don’t see myself picking it up anytime soon! Any book I’m going to have to read studiously and with ye old iPhone handy for Googling information and looking up difficult words isn’t something that’s going to relax me… and these days, I’m all about relaxation! That probably makes me an uncultured oaf but, as for this particular moment, I’m okay with that. 
Loved that you included Poe poem — definitely seems apt!
Meg´s last blog ..Of Hemingway, coffee and fibs
I read this a while ago (to find out what the fuss was all about) and I’m pretty sure 95% of it went over my head!!! I’m pretty sure any teen looking for a “dirty little read’ finds a lot more than they bargained for. I know I did. I may have even stopped partway through because I was having to work so hard. It might be interesting to reread again to see if I understand it at all … but judging from your post, I’m guessing I’ll be just as lost!!!
Jenners´s last blog ..My Favorite Reads: Nelson DeMille Books Featuring John Corey
The whole idea of this story gives me the heebie jeebies. I know it’s supposedly a classic and is quoted all the time but I doubt I could even get through a movie adaptation of it much less a book!
Ladytink_534´s last blog ..She Doesn’t Want to See Dead People
I missed the bandwagon on this one completely. I had my opening sentence written in my head: “The first time I read Lolita was on a plane.” Not great, but I was working on it.
I loved this book. It was the writing and the turns of phrases that stay with me. I also had a wonderful professor teach it and that helped.
I love the cover you used for your review, too!
Literate Housewife´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon ~ Tough Week
How sad is it that I can’t remember if I read this book last year or two years ago? Anyway, I’m pretty sure 95% of it went straight over my head as well. This is one that I really wish I could have read with a group, but I’m sure my book club would have vetoed this one faster than I could get out the words Humbert Humbert.
The writing is really spectacular, though! And I love parentheses. LOVE them. Almost as much as I love “–” and “…” Didn’t use any of this comment, though. Weird.
Trish´s last blog ..Sunday Salon 18 – Non-Fiction Reading