Lolita
Here is the part where I will feebly try to distill my experience with Lolita down to a few paragraphs and maybe some trite insights. I had seen parts of the movie with Jeremy Irons loooong ago, so I knew sort of what I was in for. I needed to experience it myself in it’s book form to truly appreciate it.
First my main problem with the story was I couldn’t find someone to side with. H.H., you poor doomed nutcase, I don’t know what to say about how you handled things. Lo, you sure seemed to be a devious little shit…I do heart you.
At that age I would have given anything for someone to pay me any attention and done anything for someone to be in love with me. I suppose that is what pisses me off about the story most…that I would have condoned this sort of thing with the help of some serious emotional issues.
The sexual side of the book really didn’t affect me because I remember myself at that age and given half a chance at an older man, well…we’ll leave it there. The psychological insights Humbert produces near the end of the story about Dolly’s behavior in certain situations softened me up towards her. The story is written from his point of view and you only get to hear from Lolita when he lets her speak. It wasn’t until the middle of the book that I realized he was probably a rather miserable waste of flesh.
You don’t kidnap kids you’ve just become related to and then have sex with them on a cross country road trip. I don’t care how romantic you try to make it sound.
He denied her her own identity and sexuality. She was an orphan and she depended on him. She probably milked it for all it was worth. I hope she did. The whole way through the book I kept being led to think that Lolita was the stronger of the two. Until the end when it was her or him and I was happy to let him go. For Lolita to not need him or Cue anymore and find her own way.
I think Lolita will be the first book I can tolerate to read a second time. For some reason, I don’t believe that I could have absorbed it all one time through. There it is. I might change my mind later, but for now…that’s how I feel about it.