Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is one of the most disturbing and symbolic books I have read. I am hesitant to rate this book so high considering how it deals with so many serious topics, and how it might not be suitable for many people. Lolita deals with the adventure of a French literacy professor who moves to New England in 1947 and goes by the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. It follows the horrendous story of his attraction and eventual continual assault of a 12-year-old girl named Dolores after living with her and her mother. Dolores’s mother unintentionally dies after learning of Humbert's attraction and ill-advisedly leaves her daughter in the hands of Humbert, leaving them to travel to the United States together on a road trip.
This book, I feel talks about harsh topics not appropriate for a wide variety of people. There are so many triggers and so many grim themes packed into one book. It is a book that takes the perspective of the assaulter rather than the victim, helping to show a new perspective on the horrific situation of the book. The book was not meant to romanticize abusive relationships, but rather shed light on how it can affect people. I think this book does a beautiful job of showing this, but also this book is not meant for light reading or if you want something to relax too. The symbolism throughout the story is well throughout and there is so much room for discussion. It made me think very deeply about all these topics, but I can't say too much about this book without spoiling it.
Overall, the book does a great job and showing its purpose, and it's very well written; But I do believe there is only a small minority of people who would handle this book and read it the way it is intended. It's kind of hard to follow and you need to sit down and focus on it to understand and dissect Humbert's actions. This is pretty common with a lot of classical Russian novels. There is a deeper meaning in almost every action a character does, so a person who would read this would need to be actively reading and thinking about the book, which is hard if you just want to read a book to relax. I don't think this book is for the faint of heart, but it's written so well that I don't think it deserves a rating anything less. I don't think I would read this again because I understood the book and its purpose, but it was an interesting read.