Carlo

What's great about Nabokov's Lolita is that it tells you something about yourself; What's weird about it is that right after reading it, you want to read it again since you know that you are not the same person anymore. It is so sincere that its truth comes as a slap in the face, and I'm certain that it will be read as long as people are around.

Lolita is the story of Humbert Humbert, a European man obsessed with certain young teenage girls, whom he sees as having the aura of adult women. He secretly dubs them nymphets. He tries in vain to deal with his urges, but soon resigns to them which makes him and his story interesting. Most of the book is his account about his love story with a 12-year old American girl called Dolores Haze, to whom he secretly calls Lolita.

Nabokov, who undoubtedly is a master of English language, told after finishing his book that there is no purpose for it. But, I don't know what's his definition of "purpose". For me, the book has a purpose, and a very noble one: it is a daring attempt to bring the reader a step closer to the truth about himself and the people around him. With a captivating prose and fascinating imagination, Nabokov has written one of the most controversial books of the 20th century, and while considering this, one can't but recall the famous words of Oscar Wilde:

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”

Lolita is written in first person, and although I’m not a fan of it, its usage is very apt, which otherwise would have made the book a story about a mere pedophile. The first person recount plays an important role in shaping HH's character accurately in our minds, and perhaps kindling a bit of sympathy for him.

Lolita can easily be called great, and reading it was a unique experience. Both charming and clever, it will never cease to capture one's intellect and emotions.