Book Report

This is a book report on my understanding of Vladimir Nabokov's book called Lolita.

I just wanted to let you now, Mr.B, that I decided to mix a couple of your task suggestions and added my own to be able to write a proper report.

When it was published in Paris in 1955, some light hearted readers and upset critics called it ''obscene'' and ''pornographic trash.'' Lolita was banned from bookstores and could no longer be found, for the time being. Thankfully, Vladimir Nabokov's talent was finally recognized when such bans were lifted, permitting myself and three other classmates of mine to read this book.

Now, the reasons for which Lolita was banned are quite obvious right from the first page, however, I believe that it's the controversial subject he chose that makes Nabokov's work so interesting. Don't get me wrong; I do not like stories about rape, incest or pedophiles. Nonetheless, I appreciated Nabokov's outstanding story about a middle-aged man having an obsession for ''nymphets''. Nymphets are what the main character, the middle-aged Humbert Humbert, calls young girls between the age of nine and fourteen who have certain physical traits such as a certain ''demonic nature'' and ''fey grace, the elusive, shifty, soul-shattering insidious charm.''

Of course, Lolita is, more precisely, the story of a middle-aged man's obsession for a certain young girl he calls Lolita, thus the title. This part is clear, right from the first sentence of the book : "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul." I found this quote significant because it's not only a quick explanation for the choice of the title but also a pretty good look ahead. When the narrator, also the main character, Humbert Humbert says that Lolita is his sin and his soul, he creates quite a foreshadowing effect. Throughout the train of events in the book, we learn how important Lolita is to Humbert, important enough for him to call her ''my soul". We also see the evolution of his fantasies over a girl it is illegal for him to have a relationship with, therefore, she is his sin. Of course, what's peculiar is the huge gap between the purity of a soul and the horrid thoughts or actions of one's sin, yet Humbert sticks them one beside the other in the same sentence. In Humbert's case, his sin is the fruit of both his horrid thoughts and actions towards such young girls. Unfortunately, after reading a whole book about a man lingering for a child, I did not manage to understand how it is possible. In my opinion, for a minimum of attraction to exist between two people, those two people have to be developped, mentally and physically. Puberty is what seperates the children from the teenagers and the adults. Before hitting puberty, sexual attraction does not even exist. Girls the age of Humbert's ''nymphets'' mostly still hope their prince charming in shining armor will come wake them in their sleep with a light kiss. Furthermore, adult men and women, usually plan on having a career, a nice house and a beautiful family. So, even if we discard the fact that Lolita and Humbert should not be at the same mental level in their lives, they should still not be physically attracted one to another.

So, why do pedophiles like Humbert actually exist? I do not know, and it is a very sad reality. Now, why would someone actually write about such a sad and delicate truth? That is the real question we should be asking ourselves. I believe it was to shock and impress his readers that Vladimir Nabokov chose to write about such a controversial subject. No matter how strange and deranging that subject was, I must admit, he handles it with such class and uses such rich and thougtful vocabulary that to the reader, Lolita might as well be a romantic love story.