Review: Lolita

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel a little weird giving a book with such a despicable narrator a five star rating. However, the book is extremely well written and I really enjoyed listening to the audio book. This is not a love story, do not be confused. It is the story of obsession and brutality, but it does have a sensual side.

I knew from very early on in the story that HH was not a reliable narrator. I felt dread when I knew what was coming, but some how I still found myself feeling compassion for HH. I didn't want to feel compassion or anything else towards the narrator, but I found I did. I think the opening of the novel had a big impact on how I reacted to the rest of the novel. It created that opening that made HH into a narrator the reader is drawn to. That doesn't mean at times you don't want to scream at the narrator for being a brute, I did. He was horrible, but yet I was still taken in by his story.

I am torn by this novel. It was easy to listen to and the story did an amazing job telling HH's story in a way that the reader relates to him. I understand why this novel is considered a classic. I also understand why it is considered controversial. I think this novel will continue to be read long into the future and future readers will feel just as conflicted as we do now.

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