Why Read Lolita
A misunderstood classic
If I had to describe what reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is like, I would say that it’s like being swooned by a sociopath. If you aren’t aware of the 1955 literary classic, Lolita is about thirty-something-year-old Humbert Humbert and his infatuation with twelve-year-old Delores Haze (referred to as “Lolita”), whom he has a sexual relationship with. The novel takes place after Humbert Humbert is arrested by the police and Lolita serves as Humbert Humbert’s account of the relationship that transpired between the two as well as his explanation to the reader as to why he did what he did.
The literary work is controversial and the premise alone causes some people to deem the book awful, perverse, and for creeps. Despite all this, Nabokov’s Lolita is hailed as one of the best books of all time — and rightly so. It’s such an amazing, beautifully written book that tackles important themes, such as obsession, manipulation, and abusive relationships. Anyone who disregards Lolita simply because of preconceived notions of the novel is doing themself a disservice. Lolita is an extremely worthwhile read and I have written down several reasons why you should seriously consider reading it.
Lolita forces readers to empathize with a character they would not have otherwise
When someone is accused of committing a horrendous act, people oftentimes are quick to judge that individual. When confronted with such horrible news, it is so much easier to insensitively assign blame instead of trying to understand the situation and hear from all possible sides. In these cases, it is hard to practice one’s empathy and try to view the accused as another human being. However, one of the important functions of reading literature is to challenge us to not follow our impulsive desire for simplicity. Reading is a challenge of empathy as it exposes the reader to many complex characters in just as complex situations. Reading Lolita is no different and may be the quintessential example of this call for empathy. After all, Humbert Humbert is an older man who has a sexual relationship with a young teenage girl. Someone who has heard about, but not personally read, Lolita might say, “The main character is a pedophile! Lolita is an underage temptress! What can we possibly learn from something so gross!?” Maybe nothing (though, I don’t think this is the case). Maybe something. But one will never know if one does not open themselves up to the possibility of empathizing with someone who represents an affront to their ideals and principles.
Lolita is for anyone who has ever infatuated over someone or fallen helplessly in love…
The writing behind Lolita reads as if from a love letter turned novel. Nabokov’s writing takes on a beautiful, poetry-fiction hybrid that oozes of romanticism. Lolita paints a story of an infatuation that is filled with so much passion and longing that the reader cannot help but be emotionally affected and recall their own past infatuations — how when one is so captivated by another, everything and anything becomes beautiful. The opening lines of Lolita read:
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.
And that is not even the best part. There is a particular scene near the end of the novel where Humbert Humbert says such poignant words that it evokes a powerful catharsis in the reader. It may sound weird, but Nabokov’s writing is so moving that the hopelessly romantic reader can actually develop sympathy for Humbert Humbert because the love he describes feels so real.
… But it is NOT a love story
Although I mentioned that Lolita is like a love letter turned into a novel, it is definitely not a story about love. Lolita is about an abusive relationship, but it’s very subtle about it — and the subtlety is important.
Readers should give Lolita a try because the novel is such an excellent example of how abusive people in relationships are not always these obviously bad monsters, but charming seducers who seek to take advantage of the sympathy of others. Lolita demonstrates that some of the ugliest truths are hidden in the most beautiful lies. Although it is not explicitly stated in the novel, the ugly truth is that Lolita is a victim of an emotionally abusive relationship. The beautiful lies are the flowery words that Humbert Humbert uses to manipulate the reader into sympathizing with him.
The genius behind Lolita is that Nabokov forces the discerning reader to empathize with a monster, start to see them as a flawed human victim to their blind love, but then ultimately recognize that Humbert Humbert is indeed this horrible individual. However, this conclusion is not shared by all readers. Some are so won over by Humbert Humbert that they still consider Lolita a love story.
So what is the point of reading Lolita if the reader ends up coming to the same conclusion as the initial impressions of many others? Firstly, the reader learns that seeking to empathize with someone does not mean absolving them of their misdeeds nor accepting what they say as the truth. Secondly, and more importantly, the reader comes to detest Humbert Humbert from a more informed perspective. If the reader is able to read between the lines, they come to understand more about Humber Humbert and rebuke his character not out of an ignorant, knee-jerk reaction, but out of a thorough understanding of the situation. The reader now has the evidence needed to feel confident and justified in their judgment.
Lolita touches on very important themes
The theme of manipulation is a central one in Lolita. Victims in abusive relationships are not always aware of the psychological manipulation that is being done to them and some abusers can convince the victim and others that the “romantic” relationship is “normal”. Humbert Humbert would be one such individual and the fact that some readers think the novel is a love story is a testament to Nabokov’s skill in bringing the reader into the story in order to convey this theme. Lolita directly engages the reader so that they not only learn about manipulation in relationships, they actually experience it. However, one hopes that through this experience, the reader is able to read between the lines, recognize they are being manipulated, and gain a more robust understanding of the pitfalls of unguarded trust. Other important themes include unhealthy power dynamics, the isolation of the victim, and the idea that consent (assuming Delores even had the ability to consent) does not make a relationship less toxic — all of which are important and relevant to society today (a hallmark of a literary classic).
In conclusion, if you have any reservations about reading Lolita because of the controversial things you heard about it, you should still give Nabokov’s classic a read. Literature shows us perspectives that we normally would not consider and being open-minded is a great thing. However, being suckered into accepting a false narrative is not. Though seemingly paradoxical, Lolita is able to bring out both empathy and discernment in readers, all the while using romantic prose that truly demonstrates the art of literature.
