May 25, 2005 01:42 AM
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(Updated May 25, 2005 01:42 AM)
Lolita is a novel of uncommon power. People who are not pedophiles can never understand that sphere of existence, and Lolita does not make one understand it. Instead, it does something greater: it enables people to empathize with people in these situations. Humbert Humbert is almost appealing despite his ignoble desires.
The first parts of the book are lavish and all together disturbing from a moral stand point but intriguing. One always wants to know, ''What will Humbert do next?'' and ''Will he actually get her?'' Stylistically, the second half of the book seemed to fall apart for me. Sometimes, I could not decide what was happening since the audience is put inside the mind of a mad man. Once Lolita left the stage, I became disinterested but still plugged on until the end. The book also changes genres almost. It becomes a detective story of sorts rather than disturbing romance. My first read through, I did not understand the mystery explanation and had to go back and re-read to catch the (obvious) clues I had missed.
The great thing about Lolita is that it branches out into new literary territory. The audience is all together shocked and entranced. It leaves the soul feeling both empty and reassured about its place in society.
