Was Nobokov's subject choice a bad idea? I had this argument with someone. I think that however disturbing and wrong it is it doesn't matter because the book is good, well written and made to shock and be diffrent... which clearly it succeeds in!
But some people think it is just wrong... what do you think?
2006-10-03 10:56:25 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
can I just say that the girl in the film is nothing like the girl "nymphet" in the book.
2006-10-03 11:52:36 · update #1
I think that "Lolita" was a good choice of subject matter because it taught readers something important. Many readers end up sympathizing with Humbert. They feel that he was seduced by Lolita and feel sorry for him. However, readers really should have absolutely no good reason to believe Humbert. The story is told enitrely from his point of view and we never get her side of the story.
He is telling the story from inside of an insane asylum. We should doubt his sanity. He loved her and, for his own sake, would want to believe that Lolita really did care about him. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he is exaggerating the parts where he claims that she liked him, in an attempt to convince himself. Also, the whole novel is a letter to the jury who will be trying him. So wouldn't he want to seem as innocent as possible to avoid harsh punishment?
These are all very good reasons to not believe him, and yet most readers do feel incredibly sorry for him. I think Nabokov is trying to show readers how easily they can be presuaded to sympathize with a monster. This forces readers to questions themselves and their own judgments.
So, I think Nabokov did something very important here and the subject matter was essential in order for him to get these ideas across.
2006-10-03 11:24:22 · answer #1 · answered by Tara 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The book is well written - not only is the subject choice disturbing, but the narrative style, with Humbert writing in the first person makes it even more so. Most disturbing is that he doesn't come across as a monster. And that's what people fail to understand - such people will often not appear as monsters on the surface.
Nabokov was not 'wrong' to write the book. It does not encourage such abuse, not does it leave us feeling any sympathies for the abuser. We might however understand him a little more. Is that wrong?
2006-10-03 11:03:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think his choice in writing style was brilliant. Most people who read the book are shocked because Nobokov's writing style seduces them a bit. The reader begins to relate to the narrator and to feel sympathy for a man who is caught in an impossible position. Of course, that scares even the most liberal reader, as no one can quite condone his actions. Nobokov's choice took guts and was wonderfully effective.
2006-10-05 13:28:57 · answer #3 · answered by ConfusedWife 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps at the time the book was horribly shocking. It is very sad that I found the story a bit tame compared with other things I've read and seen on the news. I rarely think it's a bad idea to write a book about a controversial subject. Raising public awareness and encouraging dialog are always good ideas.
2006-10-04 16:21:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A brilliant writer and Lolita caused a great shock wave among the up tight when it came out. His subject choice was ahead of the time. As an example, I saw the Last Tango In Paris (movie) and thought it pornographic at time, what, 25years ago? I saw it again on one of the movie channels recently and found it quite tame. Certainly not wrong, freedom of expression never is.
2006-10-03 11:07:28 · answer #5 · answered by lpaganus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is very real subject material, and that is an unfortunate reflection of our society, but is it a bad idea? No way! I think books like Nabokov's Lolita provide a sense of much needed awareness about how sexualized we are as a society, that he could actually see a young girl that way. You're right, it is meant to be a shock, and to hide it away in a cupboard, or to ban it would be to deny that there are faults in our society.
2006-10-03 12:20:07 · answer #6 · answered by jennybeanses 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought it was a great book, which clearly demonstrated the kind of relationship that can occur between daughter and step father. For many years subjects such as these have been kept under wraps and therefore as a society we are not given a true account of the frequency of such relationships and indeed the damage that it can inflict. This book allows the reader to unravel this taboo subject. Very well written.
2006-10-03 11:12:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-12-08 07:53:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agree with you. If people couldn't write about taboos, society as a whole suffers and becomes backward-going. What matters is the art in the book. Technique is far more important than subject.
2006-10-03 11:00:24 · answer #9 · answered by danicassar 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you mean 'lolita' made into the film with the young girl, dead mother and pervert step father. Then I think It is 'stimulating' but not wrong. Quite a good story I thought. Far more shocking stories than that.
2006-10-03 10:58:35 · answer #10 · answered by Legend 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋