quotablebookquotes discussion

I am using the 50th anniversary edition (isbn 9780679723165)

So happy I finished this right in time for the new year!

I thought it was interesting toward the end Humbert mentions people will be reading Lolita 80-90 years after it's published (he adds it to 1935) which is when we're reading it! Nice prediction...

I think it's pretty clear from my rants that I hate the story. Or at least Humbert. I don't think there's much more for me to say that I've concluded he's only loved Lolita as a ghost of Annabel and as an object, but never as Dolores Haze. If he truly loved her, he would have known and acted on her discomfort and wouldn't have raped and kidnapped her. He never took into account her feelings and just did what he wanted with her like his own doll. Also, I'm wondering if Annabel was really Annabel Lee or if he's delusional enough to use Poe's Annabel in place of a childhood love (which isn't a stretch since he's a literary man).

But if anything, the language in this is gorgeous. I loved the parts when he described the American landscape (and a mention of Kansas, woo) and various settings in the book. Even descriptions of other people--even Lolita--were amazing.

I had no sympathy for Humbert at any time of the book, nor was I conflicted about his situation at all. I wasn't that deep into Nabokov's writing. I definitely would love to read more of his work though.

What did you all think of Lolita?