Patty’s Comments (group member since Dec 06, 2009)

Patty’s comments from the Enlightenment Through Knowledge group.

let me know when you have all reached the last requested readings (up to ch.31)

soooo are any of you still gonna read this book?

Hey guys! As you all know, i am back from europe and ready to continue our readings! I know most of you have put Lolita down since the last set readings, but I have not, and i assure you it is worth picking up again! Let's try to have chapters 21-31 (pg's 89-135) read by Friday so we can do some new discussions!

since we all know what happened, i think my sister and i will be a little behind, not reading much these days. and so i will extend the readings and post up dates tomorrow.

Hey, the meeting can't be Thursday because i have to pick up jose from the airport, but how about friday? unless you guys have plans..?

Thursday night sounds good, if everyone wants to meet at Barnes n Nobles or something. On another note, most people have not been able to make the second reading deadline by today so I am extending it for Tuesday.

Happy readings!

Later on in the story he admits that Annabel WAS the prototype to Lolita, even though we could have already assumed this. He makes it sound like they are the same person though, in this part where he describes how seeing Lolita for the first time felt to him.

AND now that i think back on this quote that i posted, i realize he IS talking about one person, or at least he delineates one person:

"There are two kinds of visual memory: one where you skillfully recreate an image in the laboratory of your mind, with your eyes open (and then i see Annabel in such general terms as: "honey-colored skin," "think arms," "brown bobbed hair," "long lashes," "big bright mouth"); and the other when you instantly evoke, with shut eyes, on the dark innerside of your eyelids, the objective, absolutely optical replica of a beloved face, a little ghost in natural colors (and this is how i see Lolita)."

So! How has everyone liked the book so far? I didn't think it would be so in tune to his pedophilia, I found it a little reminiscent of "Little Children." A bit disturbing, but i guess his writing skills make up for it huh?

Here are some things to reflect upon for conversation, feel free to answer to anything i post or make your own comments/questions:

"There are two kinds of visual memory: one where you skillfully recreate an image in the laboratory of your mind, with your eyes open (and then i see Annabel in such general terms as: "honey-colored skin," "think arms," "brown bobbed hair," "long lashes," "big bright mouth"); and the other when you instantly evoke, with shut eyes, on the dark innerside of your eyelids, the objective, absolutely optical replica of a beloved face, a little ghost in natural colors (and this is how i see Lolita)."

Apart from how exquisitely and beautifully written this is, what does it say about his love for the both of these girls? No doubt Annabel is his past childhood love and Lolita his present love as an older man with a young child. But he also tells us later in that Annabel was his precursor to loving Lolita,

"..that in a certain magic and fateful way Lolita began with Annabel."

So in a way, Annabel WAS his first "girl-child" love in which he found a profound amorous kind of attraction to a young female child. But at his age, this love was very much appropriate. Nabokov also says that our character's love with Annabel was different, even though she was also a "girl-child," because they were both so young,

"When i was a child and she was a child, my little Annabel was no nymphet to me; I was her equal."

At the end of this, I am left thinking that Annabel was an innocent child-like love, but then again, he must have transformed his desire for her into a kind of prohibited or forbidden love, with Lolita.

"...the ache remained with me, and that little girl with her seaside limbs and ardent tongue haunted me ever since, until at last, 24 years later, I broke her spell by incarnating her in another."

I guess we'll see how everyone is keeping up and we'll go accordingly. Which by the way, has everyone read the pages I assigned? I know my sister hasn't even bought the book, which is why I was trying to go a bit slow to give ppl time to read in case they're busy. But there is no time to waste for those who do not care enough, so I will be continuing on.

There is a discussion posted for the first reading, I think everyone should be on track. Read chapters 10-20 (pg's 35-89)by Sunday, and if everyone can do it we should meet that day rather than post discussions.

PS-you should me making notes and underlining along the way so we have interesting topics to discuss.

i said 35 by friday, i'll post a discussion for that day, and then assign new pages.

bulks of 50? chapter 9 ends on page 35, and not all of us have all the time in the world to read, so i think 35 is fine.

Natalie, no, i have my own copy. im sure yours is around your room somewhere?

Lis, i have been ready and have been waiting around on everyone else and even still members are taking this process at a leisurely pace. Because of this i also read other books at the same time.

We can start reading together as a group beginning Thursday, June 3rd. So i expect you all to have read pages 1-35 (chapters 1-9)by Friday so we can begin discussions. I will post deadlines on this thread and discussions will be posted on a different thread.

let me know when u all have the book

Add this book to your "currently reading" shelf and please let me know when you all have a copy so we can start reading! I already have a copy, so waiting on you guys!