"lolita"

by Vladimir Nabokov

Certainly my highlight for today is when i finally manage to complete the readings of this famous novel.

Being an obscene fan of anything japanese, i eventually came across the Gothic-Lolita fashion so prominently featured in the country itself. But what is Lolita? Wikipedia helped alot here.

I found out that Lolita is a novel about an adult man's unhealthy obsession and love for a young 12 year-old girl. In fact, it is so famous that the word 'Lolita' is now a general term for young sexually-matured girls. Much like Colgate is to toothpaste,

It sounds sick, but I still wanted to read it for own's sake.

I find it, to my surprise, a very romantic and sad reading. It has very subtle sexual connotations, thank you very much, and concentrates more on the feelings and thoughts of the protagonists.

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The novel is seen from a first-view perspective of an european man named Humbert Humbert *...*, who had acquired a silent longing for pretty young girls whom he called nymphets, after the failure to copulate with his childhood sweetheart Annabel. Venturing to the States, by a twist of fate, he came to live with a female lodger Charlotte Haze and her nymphet daughter Dolores, whom he fell in love at first sight with. Dolores, affectionately named Lolita by Humbert, was such an object of extreme desire and love for the man, that he married Charlotte just to have dear Lolita closer. Soon came the day Charlotte found out about his unhealthy affections for her daughter only to have met an untimely death in an accident. Humbert then became a sole guardian to Lolita and were eventually lovers due to Lolita's curiosity and willingness to engage in such relationship. Even though he had to deal with Lolita's childish demands, furious tempers and complaints for an ordinary life, Humbert was blissful with this lifestyle which lasted until she was 14 years old. And one day, Lolita ran away. Humbert lived in misery for years awaiting for her return. As soon as he gave up, his precious daughter sent a letter telling of her marriage, pregnancy and urgernt need for money. The father came, intending to murder her for betraying him, but could not for he love her so. He begged her to come back but she refused. The story ends when the sad and longing Humbert Humbert was sent to a mentai institution after killing the man who took Lolita away from him.

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Well, it may not be accurate, after all i just finished it. but if there's anything wrong i hope someone corrects me. Nabokov is indeed a very descriptive writer and I find this novel a hard read. But it was a very beautiful read. 

Nabokov describes well the extent of fury and love that Humbert had for Lolita.

Among my favourite line was when Humbert Humbert asked Lolita to come back to him and she adamantly said that if she would, she would only run away, and with the same person whom she had loved

"He broke my heart. You (referring to Humbert) merely broke my life."