"the greatest love story between an Vladimir Nabokov and his readers..."

One of the best things about literature is its life shelf longevity. While reading Lolita, many people have encountered me wanting to discuss a certain aspect or theme. I can talk to my grandmother about Vladimir Nabokov, a stranger about the differences between love and sex, teachers about the Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare and other poetical references, and even those who have not read it and are curious about the most obvious aspect- pedophilia. This book is a masterpiece, a 4-d puzzle, and a meta meta meta-fiction. I am grateful for those who decided annotations were needed and dedicated such time to deconstructing Nabokov.

I read on my friend’s version of Lolita that was probably “the greatest American love story.” I think this is true but not in the most obvious sense. I feel Nabokov has an intimate relationship with his readers and this is the great love story. The feeling of being inside Nabokov’s brain can be addictive and obsessive like the love in his book. I know I am fascinated with his accomplishments in and out side the book: learned English in his thirties, speaks about four other languages, figured out the crossword puzzle in German, named most of the butterflies, literate in many authors, poets and literature, and despises Freud- just to name a few. And I love that he makes us his own words. I’ve always wanted to do that because if it makes sense- then it just does.

The whole controversy about him not being American doesn’t bother me because he captures the lifestyles and values of Americans so well. For example, Catherine Haze’s need for a husband, jealous behavior (which can also be connected to her harsh treatment to her daughter), interest in material objects, and her annoying failure to speak French.

As for Humbert, let’s ask the gentlemen of the jury… and I will let you know my decision at the end of the trial, I mean, book. His language is too beautiful not to connect with him. His acknowledgement of how wrong his feelings for girl-childs (or as he likes to justify as nymphlets) gives the reader some emotional insight to the universal ups and downs of falling in love, being infatuated with some one. I watched an interview with Nabokov and like a great fiction writer; he does not give away too much inside information because he leaves it to the reader to interpret. This book is incredibly postmodern. I can not wait to re-read it in the future wheni have enough time to deconstruct and analyze with closer attention to detail. I often hear from previous readers that every time its read, Lolita evokes a different emotion- sad or loving, inspirational to writers and with endless themes. This is a writing and literature major’s handbook to meta-fiction, inspiration created by an author’s life and contributions, and also just a great read.

Response 9

by Alora Young

Lolita

This book is creepy. It was one of the first conclusions I came to, and it just got more and more dominant the further I read. It’s creepy for obvious reasons – the theme of pedophilia and the fact that Lolita seemingly reciprocates Humbert’s feelings, for example. But the scariest thing is the fact that I like Humbert, as a character, but especially as a narrator. It’s easy to forget that the fact that he’s only sexually attracted to girls between the ages of 9 and 14 is so, so wrong. I forget because he’s funny. He’s very clever. And he presents us on multiple occasions with logical, credible sounding information on why his sexual preferences are actually quite… normal.

He says, “I found myself maturing amid a civilisation which allows a man of twenty-five to court a girl of sixteen but not a girl of twelve.” “Hugh Broughton, a writer of controversy in the reign of James the First has proved that Rahab was a harlot at ten years of age.” “Marriage and cohabitation before the age of puberty are still not uncommon in certain East Indian providences. Lepcha old men of eighty copulate with girls of eight, and nobody minds.” And the worst part is we know it’s true. We know that in the past, a middle-aged man marrying a ten year old girl was acceptable, and more than that, it was common. While part of our minds flinch, and tell us these relationships are disgusting, the other part is stumbling over itself with a, “But, uhm, he’s right though…”

Without wanting to, we accept his “malheurs” (French; misfortunes) of being helplessly attracted to young girls, and we focus on how amusing and intelligent he is. We forget that his story should make us feel ill, and we even find ourselves hoping for his happiness – wanting Lolita to love him back. Then, inevitably, we realise where this character’s charm has lead us and we find ourselves disgusted again, more at ourselves than at poor Humbert Humbert, who we still feel eerily sympathetic for. After our short in-class discussion, I’m even more aware of how naive Humbert’s skill as an unreliable, manipulative narrator has made me, for I failed to recognize how much of Humbert’s story may in fact, be as fictionalised as the very world Nabokov has created for him.

I already thought Nabokov had to be a genius for leading me, and I’m sure every other reader of Lolita, to almost condone Humbert’s behaviour. Then, of course, I realised (thanks to Apple’s in-depth annotations) how every word in this novel truly does mean something. People say that about most of the important literary works in history, but sometimes you’re not sure how true it is. Lolita not only written beautifully, it’s written carefully. I now have the utmost respect for Nabokov, and will forever be fascinated by this novel and its genius.