Artwork by the super-talented Kathryn MacNoughton

Apart from getting this blog up and running, my biggest accomplishment of the month was finishing Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.

I don’t know if this is embarrassing to admit, but it was the most difficult book I have ever tried to conquer. Over the span of (unmentionable) months I tried to bring myself to finish it, I would mention my reading it to friends and they would respond in shock that I hadn’t done so in the past. It was what I presume to be a very “me” book for a variety of reasons. But I COULD NOT get through it.

Here’s why: after the initial seduction, there was nothing for me to look forward to. Yes, it was beautifully written. It was twisted and tragic and disturbing. But it just wasn’t very compelling. I thoroughly enjoyed the first third of the novel — Humbert²‘s backstory and initial time spent with Lo. I carried the novel around for months but just had no will to finish it. Unfortunately, I found the character development overall to be sorely lacking. They failed to draw me in, and I just couldn’t couldn’t bring myself to care (in disgust nor sympathy) about Humbert²‘s love/lust for such an annoying little brat.

The language of Lolita is exquisite, especially given the fact that English was not Nabokov’s first (or even second or third) language. The novel is a great piece of literature, and lovely in its own disturbing way, but just not riveting enough to keep me reading.

Two and a half stars out of five.