I've never felt a desire to read Lolita but I love to listen to opinions of it. I thought you framed your thoughts really well, thanks for making these reviews!
8:52 you capture my entire aversion to the novel in one phrase: to inhabit the mind of someone like this! the most commendable skill a writer can have is to successfully channel a psyche far from their own. however, as you said, nabokov’s execution derails from the idealistic intentions argued for the book. i can appreciate it for its prose, but proactive literature for provocative’s sake isn’t my cup of tea. but hey, more for everyone else. thank you for your thoughts!
My vote goes to The Secret History. It’s a perfect book to read while in college. I want to get into Nabokov, I tried reading Pale Fire and could not get into it. I may read Lolita but I’ve seen the Kubrick movie and know how it ends.
Knowing how it ends won't matter, trust me, one of the things that hit about Lolita compared to other books is that its not leading to an ending but is instead about these sinister segments throughout the novel that are there to deceive you and persuade and enchant you through his prose style. The ending is not even something I much remembered from lolita as compared the whole book and what it leave you feeling, you know so I think give it a try because its the journey with Lolita. Loved the Secret History too
pale fire is one of his latest and most confusing novels and i struggled with it too, i’d recommend starting with the luzhin defense or despair! those are the first two i was assigned in the nabokov course i’m taking right now, and both were incredible. i’d easily say he’s my favorite novelist now, and i just started reading him this semester
I have to jump into this by saying how much I enjoyed A Father's Story, so thank you so much for the recommendation! After hearing you talk about Dubus's other work in this video, I definitely have to check it out. I thought you encapsulated it so well by saying that you love the feeling you're left with after reading his work, that it's as if you understand something you didn't understand before. I felt the same way! Besides his beautiful descriptions, he actually had me gasping at parts. So good! Also, thanks for your honest review of Lolita. I know it's a book that people seem to either love or hate, so I enjoy hearing other's thoughts on it. As I've said previously, I read it as a teenager, so I didn't analyse the book too thoroughly back then, but I think part of what I liked was the fact that we had an unreliable narrator. At the time, it wasn't something I'd read before, so it created interest. And then, as sickening as it is only to have one POV, I think there was also a strange fascination with being inside HH's head? Because in reality, we don't get to hear the thoughts of those people, and for me, I often wonder what goes on inside them to make them act the way they do, you know? Obviously, it doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. Really it just adds discomfort. But yeah, I would probably have to read it in the present to give my current thoughts on it. Crime and Punishment sounded wild haha. Very much thought-provoking, which is great. Will definitely add it to my list. Thanks for the video! I hope you have a wonderful week :)
So glad you liked it! Definitely my favorite Dubus story. Will keep incorporating his work into the videos. And if Lolita was your first unreliable narrator novel that totally makes sense. Either way, I do agree--if anything is interesting about the novel it's being in HH's head and HH's head only. It just wasn't done well on a large scale in my opinion. Let me know what you think of C&P!
Lolita really perplexes me and I get rather upset when I think about it. I want to believe it's a deliberate moral test and the intention was truly that ambitious, but, like I think you also pointed out, at no point is Nabokov actually hinting at that being the case or offering that perspective in any way during the novel. I personally believe it's masterfully written in prose, but the interpretation of it being a complex moral trap is as false as the interpretation of it being a love story - and the fact that Nabokov was ambiguous and went with both depending on who sits across him on the table, makes me even more skeptical. I think Lolita is more of a moral mockery, a parody, very self-indulgent in its writing, but I highly doubt Nabokov intended it to be as meaningful as people try to make it to be. I personally believe that his intention was merely to write a breathtakingly beautiful book about something truly vile to mock and manipulate the reader. In the end, I agree with you, the book itself doesn't offer anything truly on the subject it touches upon.
I think that since Nabokov went through similar abuse as Dolores in the book when he himself was a kid it’s a reflection on his own thoughts on it. That these awful people will always have the mindset that they’ve done nothing wrong, and the victim never really gets “justice” in a way that out does what the abuser did to them. I do agree that it’s probably not written on some moral high ground but I think the fact he wrote the book in that way shows how he views his own personal abuser/all abusers.
@ I wasn’t aware that Nabokov was a victim himself. This changes my perspective on the way he wrote the book entirely. Thank you for letting me know! A lot of it makes sense now.
I wasn't but that actually sounds like a really cool idea. I'm heading back home mid-december and resuming work on something longer so maybe I'll try that out. Love your videos by the way!
Great idea. Something I'm working through right now as I try to write more detailed essays so I'll try to go over that. Would love to hear everyone else's tips as well!
Both of these are top in my TBR list, id have started Crime and Punishment already had I not just finished the brick Brothers Karamzov so im just going light and reading Murakami for a little fun and will read C&P in early December proly and Lolita might end up being my first 2025 read so lets see!
There is a podcast dedicated to Lolita in popular culture. The creator of the podcast is Jamie Loftus. She doesn't only focus on the fictional character but also speaks of the real life Lolita that Nobokov used as an inspiration for his novel. She also speaks of the problematic aspect of cultural obsession with the idea of Lolita and how the story is used by different artists which lead to creation of culture of normalization and fetishization of the idea of Lolita.
First time I’ve seen someone mention Kaveh Akbar’s poetry! I read the calling a wolf a wolf collection last year and loved it. Glad I found your channel, I have been enjoying your videos
Lolita is one of my favorite books of all time, thank u for talking about it
I've never felt a desire to read Lolita but I love to listen to opinions of it. I thought you framed your thoughts really well, thanks for making these reviews!
Thank you, I really appreciate that.
8:52 you capture my entire aversion to the novel in one phrase: to inhabit the mind of someone like this! the most commendable skill a writer can have is to successfully channel a psyche far from their own. however, as you said, nabokov’s execution derails from the idealistic intentions argued for the book. i can appreciate it for its prose, but proactive literature for provocative’s sake isn’t my cup of tea. but hey, more for everyone else.
thank you for your thoughts!
My vote goes to The Secret History. It’s a perfect book to read while in college. I want to get into Nabokov, I tried reading Pale Fire and could not get into it. I may read Lolita but I’ve seen the Kubrick movie and know how it ends.
omg yeees The Secret History is perfect.
Knowing how it ends won't matter, trust me, one of the things that hit about Lolita compared to other books is that its not leading to an ending but is instead about these sinister segments throughout the novel that are there to deceive you and persuade and enchant you through his prose style. The ending is not even something I much remembered from lolita as compared the whole book and what it leave you feeling, you know so I think give it a try because its the journey with Lolita. Loved the Secret History too
Kubrick takes his own route…which makes him great but it isn’t totally the book
pale fire is one of his latest and most confusing novels and i struggled with it too, i’d recommend starting with the luzhin defense or despair! those are the first two i was assigned in the nabokov course i’m taking right now, and both were incredible. i’d easily say he’s my favorite novelist now, and i just started reading him this semester
i was soooo excited to hear your thoughts on lolita!
I have to jump into this by saying how much I enjoyed A Father's Story, so thank you so much for the recommendation! After hearing you talk about Dubus's other work in this video, I definitely have to check it out. I thought you encapsulated it so well by saying that you love the feeling you're left with after reading his work, that it's as if you understand something you didn't understand before. I felt the same way! Besides his beautiful descriptions, he actually had me gasping at parts. So good!
Also, thanks for your honest review of Lolita. I know it's a book that people seem to either love or hate, so I enjoy hearing other's thoughts on it. As I've said previously, I read it as a teenager, so I didn't analyse the book too thoroughly back then, but I think part of what I liked was the fact that we had an unreliable narrator. At the time, it wasn't something I'd read before, so it created interest. And then, as sickening as it is only to have one POV, I think there was also a strange fascination with being inside HH's head? Because in reality, we don't get to hear the thoughts of those people, and for me, I often wonder what goes on inside them to make them act the way they do, you know? Obviously, it doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. Really it just adds discomfort. But yeah, I would probably have to read it in the present to give my current thoughts on it.
Crime and Punishment sounded wild haha. Very much thought-provoking, which is great. Will definitely add it to my list.
Thanks for the video! I hope you have a wonderful week :)
So glad you liked it! Definitely my favorite Dubus story. Will keep incorporating his work into the videos.
And if Lolita was your first unreliable narrator novel that totally makes sense. Either way, I do agree--if anything is interesting about the novel it's being in HH's head and HH's head only. It just wasn't done well on a large scale in my opinion.
Let me know what you think of C&P!
Lolita really perplexes me and I get rather upset when I think about it. I want to believe it's a deliberate moral test and the intention was truly that ambitious, but, like I think you also pointed out, at no point is Nabokov actually hinting at that being the case or offering that perspective in any way during the novel. I personally believe it's masterfully written in prose, but the interpretation of it being a complex moral trap is as false as the interpretation of it being a love story - and the fact that Nabokov was ambiguous and went with both depending on who sits across him on the table, makes me even more skeptical.
I think Lolita is more of a moral mockery, a parody, very self-indulgent in its writing, but I highly doubt Nabokov intended it to be as meaningful as people try to make it to be. I personally believe that his intention was merely to write a breathtakingly beautiful book about something truly vile to mock and manipulate the reader. In the end, I agree with you, the book itself doesn't offer anything truly on the subject it touches upon.
I think that since Nabokov went through similar abuse as Dolores in the book when he himself was a kid it’s a reflection on his own thoughts on it. That these awful people will always have the mindset that they’ve done nothing wrong, and the victim never really gets “justice” in a way that out does what the abuser did to them. I do agree that it’s probably not written on some moral high ground but I think the fact he wrote the book in that way shows how he views his own personal abuser/all abusers.
@ I wasn’t aware that Nabokov was a victim himself. This changes my perspective on the way he wrote the book entirely. Thank you for letting me know! A lot of it makes sense now.
You're steadily heading to 3000 subscribers - planning anything to observe the occasion? Maybe some live writing sprints?
I wasn't but that actually sounds like a really cool idea. I'm heading back home mid-december and resuming work on something longer so maybe I'll try that out. Love your videos by the way!
An Andre Dubus short story I adored is "At Night," included in the collection Dancing After Hours.
Can't wait to get to more of his work, thanks for the rec!
would love to see a video on how you annotate/critically read books!
Great idea. Something I'm working through right now as I try to write more detailed essays so I'll try to go over that. Would love to hear everyone else's tips as well!
Okay… I adored Lolita. I’m in the camp that found it hilarious. What say you to that reading?
Both of these are top in my TBR list, id have started Crime and Punishment already had I not just finished the brick Brothers Karamzov so im just going light and reading Murakami for a little fun and will read C&P in early December proly and Lolita might end up being my first 2025 read so lets see!
Haha yes I wouldn't recommend Brothers and C&P back to back. Enjoy your light reading and let me know what you think when you get to it!
There is a podcast dedicated to Lolita in popular culture. The creator of the podcast is Jamie Loftus. She doesn't only focus on the fictional character but also speaks of the real life Lolita that Nobokov used as an inspiration for his novel. She also speaks of the problematic aspect of cultural obsession with the idea of Lolita and how the story is used by different artists which lead to creation of culture of normalization and fetishization of the idea of Lolita.
That actually sounds really interesting, thanks for the rec. That last part is so important, really should be discussed more I think.
♥️
My favorite Nabokov is Pale Fire.
Reading it right now and it's insane. Might wind up being my favorite too
martyr is my favorite book of the year, highly highly encourage anyone to read it
Ahhh I need to read it soon. Definitely by the end of January.
First time I’ve seen someone mention Kaveh Akbar’s poetry! I read the calling a wolf a wolf collection last year and loved it. Glad I found your channel, I have been enjoying your videos
Calling a Wolf a Wolf is so so good. I can't wait to get to his novel, hopefully over my winter break.
loved lolita but hated pnin too!
read some Sorokin and Sharov