Poetry, Not Prose

Vladimir Nabokov writes Lolita with an elegance that is more similar to poetry than prose. Despite Russian being his native tongue, he masters the English language with an ease and grace that is difficult to find in many writers. Although the book has been banned in the past and the subject matter often troubles moral purists and schoolteachers alike, the book is written in such a way that is tasteful and beautiful.

Humbert Humbert’s love for Lolita is forbidden, yet pure in a sense that is both unrequited and absolute.  From first to last sight of Lolita, Humbert Humbert retains his strong affection for her—an affection that transcends conventional societal norms and expectations. Marrying Lolita’s mother to get closer to her at first seems cruel and twisted, but Nabokov writes the story in such a way that the reader understands Humbert Humbert’s motivation and can sympathize with him. Lolita flows with Humbert Humbert’s emotional trauma and creates a sense of connectivity between he and the reader; the reader not only feels present physically, but also emotionally.  The book is deserves uninterrupted reading, and reads well enough to allow the reader to enjoy it in a relatively short amount of time.