When beginning this journey through this "All-Time Top 100 Novels" list referenced in this blog, I knew several of the titles contained subject matter and topics which were highly controversial to the casual reader. The fact that I chose Russian author Vladimir Nabokov's classic Lolita as the first book on this list I would be exploring only reinforced this fact. This tale of a middle aged male's unlawful and immoral romance with a prepubescent girl is a story that still resonates today as very relevant and thought-provoking. And what is probably most surprising, this is also a very funny novel.
Overview
The story of Lolita is told in flashback, extracted from the writings of a man who is in prison recounting what led him to said imprisonment. Using the supposedly fictitious name of Humpert Humpert in the text, the narrator takes us through his immigration to the United States, where he encounters 12 year old Lolita, a mischevious and stubborn "nymphet" whom the author is infatuated with. He slowly begins to cultivate a plan to isolate Lolita from any outside influences so that he may have her for himself. Even after he achieves this objective, he tries to have an authentic relationship with a young girl whom he has no business being romantically involved with, all the while feeling the pressure of his own guilt and the threat of his crime being discovered.
What I Enjoyed
There is much in the novel that is very strong. First and foremost, this is a novel that has a large wealth of humor, much more than I expected. Though I knew this was a satire, I didn't know how comical the situation was played, especially since the topic of pedophilia is one that is considered risque to mine for comedy. It works here though; the narrator's description of his obsession with Lolita is described in a highly refined and dignified manner, and the fact that his actions are the exact opposite is continually humorous and intentionally hypocritical of the character. It's also amusing that the "nymphet" Lolita that he fawns over in such a flowery, poetic fashion seems to have no class, dignity, or real signs of "lady-like grace". In fact she's an obnoxious little brat. Several of the supporting players are funny as well, the most prominent of these is the writer Clare Quilty, who even in the face of danger is funny, if not funnier because of it.
The book also seems to be a competent examination in regards to the thought process of pedophiles in reality. At one point after Lolita has left the narrator behind, he confesses his motives by stating: "I would be a knave to say, and the reader a fool to believe, that the shock of losing Lolita cured me of pederosis. My accursed nature could not change, no matter how my love for her did". This seems to echo the opinion that those who are compelled to commit these types of heinous crimes are never truly reformed. The psychology of this type of individual is one of the ideas that is most prominently expressed in this novel.
It should also be noted that one of the general ideas in this novel that I discovered was the idea that the narrator continually wants Lolita to act more mature, and when she finally acquires some level of maturity she inevitably outgrows her adult suitor because he himself is truly juvenile. This theme reminded me of the classic Woody Allen film "Annie Hall" quite a bit (and not to mention, the novel itself seems to have been the frame for Woody's own personal life).
What I Didn't Agree With
Early in the novel there is a major death that occurs, that I found too coincidental. I get that the scene was being played for ironic purpose, and the message came through clearly, but I felt it was implemented in the book in a way that tied things together a little too perfectly in that particular instance. And while it certainly isn't the focus of the book I wish more was expanded on as to what occurred to the characters in the present tense in which the story is being recollected. Some of the prose seems to get too focused on how masterful it is with the English language; Nabokov was a Russian writer, as I stated before, and this was his first novel composed in English. While his first effort in the language reveals an astounding mastery of English language, wordplay, and a truly articulate mind, there are moments where the mastery of the language just seems a little too forced upon the reader. Thankfully these moments are few and far between, and most of the time the prose is a delight to read because of this complexity.
Does It Belong On This List?
Absolutely. Even without the content this is a very rich example of richly designed and applied prose, and Nabokov's style of writing is both highly intelligent and even fun to read. But the enduring popularity of the novel is in the fact that it depicts an unspeakably taboo relationship in what is essentially an honest manner, and even dares to be humorous about it. And yet even though it does take this direction with the material, it never loses sight of the the immorality of the act, and in fact the narrator's own defense serves to further condemn his actions. This is a daring novel that dissects controversial material rather than just exploit it for shock value.
Next on the List
Alan Moore's masterful graphic novel Watchmen. I have read this 12-issue comic miniseries in its entirety no less than 5 times, but any excuse to explore it once more I will certainly take advantage of, and the nature of this endeavor will likely provoke me to explore the material from a different perspective.
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