There is a whole complex living organism.
To this day, I cannot look at Humbert’s initials “H.H.” without pronouncing them in German, “Ha Ha”, and wondering whether the joke is on us.īeneath the skin of the novel, there is much more.
Nabokov makes of his material a three act play.Īnd he does so playfully, seductively, lyrically, charmingly, amusingly, dangerously. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end.Ī grooming, a consummation, an aftermath. Once you know that it concerns sexual relations between 37 year old Humbert Humbert and 12 year old Dolores “Lolita” Hayes, you just about know the plot. It was back between the covers, challenging me to start again.Īt a superficial level, “Lolita” is a relatively straight-forward novel. Nor was it going to tell me I had been a Good Reader or that it had appreciated my attentiveness.
Now, not being a smoker, all I needed was some post-coital conversation.Īnd there was no one around to converse with.Īnd the book wasn’t giving away any more of its secrets than it already had. My cheeks were still flushed, my nerve endings were still tingling, I had experienced the “spine thrill of delight”, I felt like I had just had sex with a book. I wanted to talk to someone about my experience straight away. I had read “Lolita” in a couple of days, less time than my work commitments normally allow me, but I found it incredibly easy to read.Įven though I was taking notes, even though I was conscious that Nabokov was playing games (even if I didn’t always know what game), even though there were unfamiliar words I should have looked up, I was constantly drawn towards the conclusion. This wasn’t the conversation I had been hoping for. He’s a paedophile.”Ī bit taken aback, I enquired further, “Who? The author or the character?”įortunately, she replied, “The character.”įor me, this exchange showed how much “Lolita” can still sharply divide opinion, even within lovers of fiction. She replied firmly, “No…and I’m not going to either. I had read “Lolita” in a couple of days, less time than Between the CoversĪfter re-reading "Lolita", I asked my local bookseller if she'd ever read it. He’s a paedophile.” A bit taken aback, I enquired further, “Who? The author or the character?” Fortunately, she replied, “The character.” For me, this exchange showed how much “Lolita” can still sharply divide opinion, even within lovers of fiction.
Hilarious, flamboyant, heart-breaking and full of ingenious word play, Lolita is an immaculate, unforgettable masterpiece of obsession, delusion and lust.moreīetween the Covers After re-reading "Lolita", I asked my local bookseller if she'd ever read it. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance but when Lo herself starts looking for attention elsewhere, he will carry her off on a desperate cross-country misadventure, all in the name of Love. Humbert Humbert - scholar, aesthete and romantic - has fallen completely and utterly in love with Dolores Haze, his landlady's gum-snapping, silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance but when Lo Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780141182537. Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780141182537.