Update and Review: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Hello fellow bloggers how are we all doing today? I hope all is well with you guys. As for me I have been working and getting ready for my birthday crusie that is less than a month away. I am so excited. Only problem is I don't know what to do with my dog...I haven't figured out whose going to take care of him for the week that I am gone. It wouldn't be so hard if everyone in the house didn't act like they were scared of him, like he is some giant sized dog that can rip their hands off. But anyway moving on. I haven't written anything new for Eternal Earth yet because I haven't felt anything coming to me. So as of right now Adien and Harmony are officially on pause and also because I still have to finish editing and rewriting Radien's story which has become more of a chore than anything. As far as the Faye Princesses and Alexios's story that is making slow progress. Scenes are coming to me slowly for this part of the book and I know that is because I haven't been working on it, I've been too distracted but the scene I am working on now you get a more inside look into Bozark's mind (somewhat). I am thinking about maybe adding a prequel story of him and Alexios's mother once the Faye stories are done. Also SnoWolf is coming along well. I actually have the next scene in my head that I am going to write (hopefully) once I finish writing this post. With that being said lets move on to the review:
Review: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Well I have finally picked up Lolita and it made for a very interesting read. Mr. Nabokov did a impressive job of weaving the sickened and obsessed mind of Mr. Humbert. His obsession or love with Lolita proved to be perverted and demented yet at the same time captivating. His rationalization and description of young nymphets provided a very vivid picture of the type of young girls that Humbert was attracted too. In a way this book reminded me of Perfume: Story of a Murder by Partick Suskind. What I mean by that is that both Jean and Mr. Humbert were drawn to s similar type of young girl; though clearly for different reasons. While Jean didn't have sex with his victims, preferring to murder them for their scent, it was the scent of young girls right at the brink of puberty that drove him to murder. Humbert case is much similar, though he didn't physically murder Lolita he did in a sense murder her childhood when he took her. She much like the victims of perfume were young and held a forbidden innocence that captivated these men, a temptation. Something forbidden. But enough about with these compassion and back to Lolita. Of course this is a very old styled and well written novel and at times it may be difficult to understand. There were many parts where I had to double read and re-read what was being said (though it might be my fault that some of these passages were unclear because I was misreading some words). Being that this was written in first person we get a in depth view of Humbert's mind, and though he tries to portray himself as a rational person, he actually manages to rationalize his irrational attraction and actions. He is cunning and able to manipulate the readers into thinking that his love for Lolita was pure and that it was true love. However once I was done with the book, I still couldn't bring myself to believe that his love (no matter how much he said it was) was pure for Lolita It seemed more that it was about power and control. Being that he was an adult male and Lolita a young girl with no mother she was dependent on him. As a child she was his to protect and take care of. in a sense she was his property and in that obsession he developed a false love. For instance while Humbert was married to Lolita's mother he had not control or power over her. Being that she was an adult and able survive on her own Humbert had no true control over her. If she wanted she could leave him, could throw him out of her home. Therefore he held no attraction to Lolita's mother. Also it could be said that his fancy for young girls began when he himself was very young and the love of his life died due to disease she caught while on the beach with him. It could be that in all these young girls that he found so appealing that he was trying to replace the love that he had lost yet he was not able to. And because as with his first love he was not in control of what happened around him Humbert never grew a true sexual connection for adult women. Either way it is hard to believe that Humbert had true love for Lolita. With that being said I will say that the character of Humbert is well developed just as the character of Lolita as a young girl is well developed.
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I recomend this to a friend? Yes
Well I have finally picked up Lolita and it made for a very interesting read. Mr. Nabokov did a impressive job of weaving the sickened and obsessed mind of Mr. Humbert. His obsession or love with Lolita proved to be perverted and demented yet at the same time captivating. His rationalization and description of young nymphets provided a very vivid picture of the type of young girls that Humbert was attracted too. In a way this book reminded me of Perfume: Story of a Murder by Partick Suskind. What I mean by that is that both Jean and Mr. Humbert were drawn to s similar type of young girl; though clearly for different reasons. While Jean didn't have sex with his victims, preferring to murder them for their scent, it was the scent of young girls right at the brink of puberty that drove him to murder. Humbert case is much similar, though he didn't physically murder Lolita he did in a sense murder her childhood when he took her. She much like the victims of perfume were young and held a forbidden innocence that captivated these men, a temptation. Something forbidden. But enough about with these compassion and back to Lolita. Of course this is a very old styled and well written novel and at times it may be difficult to understand. There were many parts where I had to double read and re-read what was being said (though it might be my fault that some of these passages were unclear because I was misreading some words). Being that this was written in first person we get a in depth view of Humbert's mind, and though he tries to portray himself as a rational person, he actually manages to rationalize his irrational attraction and actions. He is cunning and able to manipulate the readers into thinking that his love for Lolita was pure and that it was true love. However once I was done with the book, I still couldn't bring myself to believe that his love (no matter how much he said it was) was pure for Lolita It seemed more that it was about power and control. Being that he was an adult male and Lolita a young girl with no mother she was dependent on him. As a child she was his to protect and take care of. in a sense she was his property and in that obsession he developed a false love. For instance while Humbert was married to Lolita's mother he had not control or power over her. Being that she was an adult and able survive on her own Humbert had no true control over her. If she wanted she could leave him, could throw him out of her home. Therefore he held no attraction to Lolita's mother. Also it could be said that his fancy for young girls began when he himself was very young and the love of his life died due to disease she caught while on the beach with him. It could be that in all these young girls that he found so appealing that he was trying to replace the love that he had lost yet he was not able to. And because as with his first love he was not in control of what happened around him Humbert never grew a true sexual connection for adult women. Either way it is hard to believe that Humbert had true love for Lolita. With that being said I will say that the character of Humbert is well developed just as the character of Lolita as a young girl is well developed.
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I recomend this to a friend? Yes
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