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A review by schinko94
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
5.0
This book is a terrifying and beautifully-written example of what happens when the wrong person takes control over a child.
I read this at the beginning of 2018, and it seemed apropos for the moment. The #metoo movement was in full swing, and I was interested in reading a literary classic that might shed some light on the issue. (I also love Lana Del Rey, and this book happens to be her favorite novel. While she likes this story for the wrong reasons, I was nonetheless interested in it because of her music.) The fact that this story has been romanticized in our culture since its very first edition is a testament to just how disgusting society's perception of child abuse and rape can be.
In my opinion, there is no other way to see Humbert Humbert than as a controlling, self-obsessed person that had little regard or actual love for Dolores Haze. He is extremely cunning, and overall, unreliable. He is so unreliable, in fact, that there is some question as to whether Humbert Humbert is even his real name (because, let's face it, who names their kid that?). These traits are exemplified by his use of deception and beautiful language to tell a story that he feels is justified by his martyrdom complex, but that is absolutely not justifiable in any way, shape, or form. There are moments in the book where he blackmails Lolita, tortures her mentally, and objectifies her, and yet he still says that his maltreatment comes from a place of love. He even states multiple times that he knows Lolita will become ugly to him eventually, as no girl can stay a "nymphet" forever. He is the textbook example of a pedophile. While pedophiles may be characterized by their sexual affinity for children, their actual sexual desires have less to do with youthful appearance and more to do with sexual manipulation.
So I guess, in a sense, it makes sense that this book would be seen as a "love" story by many American men. If the epidemic of sexual abuse and harassment towards women is as widespread across the workforce as we believe it is, then it's no wonder that men feel that this story reflects their inner "romantic" desires. They have a sense of entitlement afforded to them by society and other men in powerful positions, just as Humbert feels that he has a sense of entitlement given to him by his intellect.
However, if men really do feel that abusive behavior can be loving and/or justified, then we have a huge problem in our society, and a long way to go before it is completely fixed. Humbert Humbert wasn't even arrested for his escapades with Lolita, so I think this novel suggests that accountability is the first step towards reconciliation and atonement for much more serious crimes. We've sort of started that process, but much more legal work will need to be done before we can actually get to the root of the cultural problem from which this issue originates.
I read this at the beginning of 2018, and it seemed apropos for the moment. The #metoo movement was in full swing, and I was interested in reading a literary classic that might shed some light on the issue. (I also love Lana Del Rey, and this book happens to be her favorite novel. While she likes this story for the wrong reasons, I was nonetheless interested in it because of her music.) The fact that this story has been romanticized in our culture since its very first edition is a testament to just how disgusting society's perception of child abuse and rape can be.
In my opinion, there is no other way to see Humbert Humbert than as a controlling, self-obsessed person that had little regard or actual love for Dolores Haze. He is extremely cunning, and overall, unreliable. He is so unreliable, in fact, that there is some question as to whether Humbert Humbert is even his real name (because, let's face it, who names their kid that?). These traits are exemplified by his use of deception and beautiful language to tell a story that he feels is justified by his martyrdom complex, but that is absolutely not justifiable in any way, shape, or form. There are moments in the book where he blackmails Lolita, tortures her mentally, and objectifies her, and yet he still says that his maltreatment comes from a place of love. He even states multiple times that he knows Lolita will become ugly to him eventually, as no girl can stay a "nymphet" forever. He is the textbook example of a pedophile. While pedophiles may be characterized by their sexual affinity for children, their actual sexual desires have less to do with youthful appearance and more to do with sexual manipulation.
So I guess, in a sense, it makes sense that this book would be seen as a "love" story by many American men. If the epidemic of sexual abuse and harassment towards women is as widespread across the workforce as we believe it is, then it's no wonder that men feel that this story reflects their inner "romantic" desires. They have a sense of entitlement afforded to them by society and other men in powerful positions, just as Humbert feels that he has a sense of entitlement given to him by his intellect.
However, if men really do feel that abusive behavior can be loving and/or justified, then we have a huge problem in our society, and a long way to go before it is completely fixed. Humbert Humbert wasn't even arrested for his escapades with Lolita, so I think this novel suggests that accountability is the first step towards reconciliation and atonement for much more serious crimes. We've sort of started that process, but much more legal work will need to be done before we can actually get to the root of the cultural problem from which this issue originates.