Lolita Analysis and Review

Lolita Book Review

Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita is a book with a subject matter so alternative that it has been grossly misinterpreted in order for it to fit into society's belief in what is "accepted controversy." This daring book is truly a masterpiece. Literature with new, original and captivating plots is next to impossible to find. On the rare occasion that such a piece is found, the world will go mad for it. The opportunity to read a book that has a completely different almost contemporary storyline was one could not pass up on. Besides the controversy, the raving reviews I heard had me bouncing up and down in excitement. This book was called "the most thrilling read"and"The only convincing love story of our century." I enjoyed reading it, but found that-the reviews were wrong and-the actual literature had been ignored; rather, the controversial, almost taboo subject matter is what people confused for great writing. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that Lolita is badly written in any way, but I also won't lie and say I was not disappointed when I finished reading the last page.

Lolita is about a forty something man who engages in a relationship with a teenage girl, and as people no longer dive into a book with an open mind, they fail to see that it was not Humbert who catalyzed the relationship, rather Lo did. The simplemindedness of people is paralyzing. They refused to read the actual print; they just looked over the book, and decided that Humbert must be the one at fault. Society has molded people to believe that children are always the victims of sexual crimes, but in this story, I believe Humbert is the real victim. He is a victim to Lo's promiscuity, and a victim to a society that will never fully understand him.

Nabokov uses a lot of symbolism in his book. He discusses Modern America as opposed to ancient Europe, The second red scare, and the works of the human mind. Humbert is used as a main aspect of every one of those situations. He plays the role of ancient Europe, and Lo-and Charlotte- represent(s) modern America. During the time of the second red scare, Americans were very anti-communist, and the government needed a distraction for the masses. The book is in only Humbert's point of view, Nabokov displays a very important aspect of people.

Ever heard of the phrase out with the old and in with the new? Well, that was not the case with the old and the new world. Their encounter was like one of ice water and molten magma. America-Charlotte- tries to emulate the sophistication and power of Europe-Humbert. He is very traditional- a trait that is often attributed to European society- yet enlightened and intelligent. What Nabokov was trying to do was portray how easy it apparently was for Europe to balance out sophistication, tradition, enlightenment, and intelligence whereas America struggled because of its compulsive need to "just live a little."

European superiority is a theme many overlook in this book. Though he did not intend for it to be, Nabokov put forth a very bold statement. Although I believe that Lo's predicament was entirely her fault, I will admit that what Humbert was doing very quickly became rape. As we all know, rape is not about the actual sex, but about power. It is about a mentally and emotionally weak person taking complete control of you, thus becoming more powerful than you. Essentially, Nabokov described the decline of Europe and how they used America to feel more powerful, to feel as though they are still the most dominant force to be reckoned with.

Despite the fiction between the two, America learned a valuable lesson from Europe. What do the powers that be do when they are in a difficult position? They destroy their biggest threat obviously, but who exactly is that? The masses! How though, do you destroy your own people? Well you don't. In ancient Rome, during a time of great political turmoil, Caesar introduced a concept that is still used today; distracting the masses. Julius Caesar used gory gladiator fights, and others further promoted mass culture. The second red scare was terrifying. The fear of traitors and anti-communism