Comments on: Lolita http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:34:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Trish http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6161 Trish Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:16:41 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6161 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 ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TrishsReadingNook/~3/urlazoKRwoY/sunday-salon-18-non-fiction-reading.html" rel="nofollow">Sunday Salon 18 - Non-Fiction Reading</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Literate Housewife http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6156 Literate Housewife Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:15:24 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6156 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 ..<a href="http://literatehousewife.com/2009/10/the-sunday-salon-tough-week/" rel="nofollow">The Sunday Salon ~ Tough Week</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Ladytink_534 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6118 Ladytink_534 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:51:17 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6118 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 ..<a href="http://reviewsofthings.blogspot.com/2009/10/she-doesnt-want-to-see-dead-people.html" rel="nofollow">She Doesn't Want to See Dead People</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Jenners http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6115 Jenners Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:37:43 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6115 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 ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FindYourNextBookHere/~3/5WDqpEjyAsw/my-favorite-reads-nelson-demille-books.html" rel="nofollow">My Favorite Reads: Nelson DeMille Books Featuring John Corey</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Meg http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6106 Meg Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:33:40 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6106 OK, I'll admit it -- I knew next to <i>nothing</i> 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 ..<a href="http://writemeg.com/2009/10/01/of-hemingway-coffee-and-fibs/" rel="nofollow">Of Hemingway, coffee and fibs</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Amanda http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6083 Amanda Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:58:22 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6083 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 ..<a href="http://zenleaf.blogspot.com/2009/10/september-in-review.html" rel="nofollow">September in Review</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Care http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6082 Care Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:26:22 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6082 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 ..<a href="http://bkclubcare.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/new-zealand-book-month/" rel="nofollow">New Zealand Book Month</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: Joanne http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6081 Joanne Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:56:19 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6081 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 ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBookZombie/~3/1qMqTQYCTqI/graphic-novels-v4-spookiness-abounds.html" rel="nofollow">Graphic Novels v.4 ♦ Spookiness Abounds</a> =-. 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 =-.

]]> By: heidenkind http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6078 heidenkind Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:02:48 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6078 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. 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.

]]> By: softdrink http://www.fizzythoughts.com/2009/09/lolita.html/comment-page-1#comment-6076 softdrink Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:59:29 +0000 http://www.fizzythoughts.com/?p=1310#comment-6076 It calls for lots of concentration...more than I gave it, that's for sure. It calls for lots of concentration…more than I gave it, that’s for sure.

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