On a track from her latest CD, pop star Miley Cyrus sings: "I've been to New York and to L.A. and to Baton Rouge / I met a boy in every city / No one kept me amused. / But don't call me a Lolita / 'Cause I don't let 'em through. / 'Cause I'm saving all my lovin' for someone / And it's you."
Whether or not Ms. Cyrus has read Lolita is not the important point here—it's the cultural impact of Nabokov's chilling novel. The term Lolita is now commonly used in reference to the situations found in the book, most often to describe a sexually precocious young lady. And as Miley shows above, the term is not limited to older generations.
Since its publication in 1955, the novel has been an object of controversy. It struggled to find an American publisher, was recalled because of its contents, and is frequently found on banned books lists. But despite it's controversial subject matter, the novel is still a quite profound object of beauty. Nabokov's brilliant narrator tells a sordid tale in undeniably beautiful language.
Keeping this post as spoiler-free as possible, discussion covered topics such as Humbert Humbert's status as an unreliable narrator, the way the writing contrasts with the subject matter, and one of the novel's most controversial questions: how much HH is to blame for the events of the novel. We also discussed the novel's great closing, and used it to gauge HH's remorse.
If you have not read Lolita, please do so immediately (winter break is coming soon). Not only is the book culturally important, but it is also one of the best novels ever written, showcasing Nabokov's extraordinary skill as a writer.
