TBR Feature #7

Wednesday 8 June 2016

TBR Feature is the chance for me to, every Wednesday, pick one of my unread books and discuss it: why I picked it up, when I'll get round to reading it, if I'm still interested in it at all etc.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

I'd had my eye on a few modern classics but Lolita was the one I was most hesitant about picking up, for obvious reasons. As much as I wanted to read it, I was overwhelmed by the fear of being judged for buying such a problematic book. What if the people in Waterstones thought less of me? What if they thought I was too young to be reading it? What if they thought - god forbid - I'd enjoy it?

As usual though, none of this played out and I ended up having a nice chat with the lady on the till about the books I was buying - including Lolita. She basically said out loud what had be niggling in the back of my mind: 'it's one of those books you don't want to like but you can't help it because it's written so well'.

Just because I may enjoy the book itself when I get around to reading it does not mean that I condone the actions of the characters, or that I have to be comfortable reading about it. Yes, I am interested in picking this up, but only so that I can form my own opinion about it. It may be controversial, but it may also be good.


Have you read Lolita?

6 comments:

  1. I've always been a bit 50/50 about whether I'd want to read Lolita, so I understand where you're coming from!

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    1. Yeah, it's one of those books that I don't really want to read, but at the same time I do just so I know what all the fuss is about. But I don't necessarily want people to know I'm reading it, in case they think I like it.

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    2. I think enough people have read it that only the terminally stupid and/or misinformed will judge you. It's held to be a (modern) classic, after all.

      Maybe try a few pages and then abandon if you can't stand it?

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    3. Very true. But that being said, people will judge others for reading (or not reading) classics and for so many other things related to reading. I am definitely going to give this a try though.

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  2. I had never heard of this book until I found it here! I went and read the synopsis, and I want to read it now. I think I might have to pick it up.

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    1. Go for it! I've seen snippets of it and it does seem very well written, and the subject matter is very thought-provoking.

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