Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

[Redlegs]

I agree with other comments here that this is a special and beautifully written book, despite its subject matter. I read it as an adult, only a few years ago and I would definitley consider reading it again, And i thought the movie with Jeremy Irons was actually quite good.

[TorpidPorpoise]

Huh, I must be the only person who didn't think it was that great of a book. The prose was nothing amazing, which seems like what most people laud. The most interesting thing, in my opinion, were those glimmers of Dolores's actual personality/sexuality, versus the picture that Humbert paints of "my Lolita's" personality/sexuality.

[Fran]

Huh, I must be the only person who didn't think it was that great of a book. The prose was nothing amazing, which seems like what most people laud. The most interesting thing, in my opinion, were those glimmers of Dolores's actual personality/sexuality, versus the picture that Humbert paints of "my Lolita's" personality/sexuality.

Could I suggest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_8toD2CFlg

[perusaphone]

I must have read this in my teens back in the early sixties, one has to admit that a great amount of the, shall we say titillation matter, left me bereft of understanding. Since then I have been subjected to precocious females of a tender age flexing their muscles as it were with the opposite sex. I also see a great number of television programmes, with teenage girls carrying on like they were in their twenties instead of low teens. Other susceptible and, even younger girls attempting to emulate them with the manner of comporting themselves when out and about, the hair, the makeup, the clothing etc leaves the male of the species agog with trepidation. Then we get trouble and upset... !!
The entire book is fraught with guilt and embarrassment, very well written yet, awkward to read without it raising concerns for the future of our species. Another, strangely similar but different book is 'Death in Venice'. set in an earlier age, but quite possibly a more involved storyline. Who knows what other books of a similar genre there are about. One has to wonder if the author had any experience of the subject before he wrote it, or is it just a rarely written insight into the psychology of the paedophile that hits the spot perfectly by accident...?
A short while back I saw a paperback copy of this in a charity shop, the pages were well thumbed, but the picture on the cover was extremely graphic in depiction. If I witnessed a youthful female exposing herself like that I would have to declare her out of bounds......!

[TorpidPorpoise]

Huh, I must be the only person who didn't think it was that great of a book. The prose was nothing amazing, which seems like what most people laud. The most interesting thing, in my opinion, were those glimmers of Dolores's actual personality/sexuality, versus the picture that Humbert paints of "my Lolita's" personality/sexuality.

Could I suggest ...

That was extremely interesting. I feel like I should reread it now.

[Fran]

Huh, I must be the only person who didn't think it was that great of a book. The prose was nothing amazing, which seems like what most people laud. The most interesting thing, in my opinion, were those glimmers of Dolores's actual personality/sexuality, versus the picture that Humbert paints of "my Lolita's" personality/sexuality.

Could I suggest ...

That was extremely interesting. I feel like I should reread it now.

Glad you liked it, really does give a different slant on the book ... they are superb lectures and all available for free.