SMBC Comics Forum

One of the best books I've ever read. HIGHLY recommended.

Anyone else wanna suggest another Nabokov book?

Can you go into more detail? Why'd you love it so much?

Obligatory pedobear reference.

I hope it had a kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii cover.
I think this is why Zach never responds to our responses.

I've heard good things about the book. I don't know any others by the author though.

Great prose, great characters, great story. Basically GREAT. Reminded me of Fitzgerald in its florid language.

Seriously. Read it. Then you won't be reduced to pedophilia jokes any time someone mentions it.

I'll see if my library has it.

I can't be seen taking it out of my library. I'll have to buy a copy.

The one thing that I dislike is that Nabokov had no interest in any of his readers sympathising with the protagonist. I don't like to see a character that's just "evil and call it a day."

I thought Humbert Humbert was very sympathetic. That's one of the things I like most about the book. Nabokov doesn't shy away from telling the story from the point of view of a terrible person.

I thought Humbert Humbert had a funny name.

I know you are supposed to think that Humbert Humbert's problems stem from his inability to get over the loss of his childhood love, but maybe he was messed up because of having such a silly name.

ZachWeiner wrote:One of the best books I've ever read. HIGHLY recommended.

Anyone else wanna suggest another Nabokov book?

YES.

I tried to recommend Nabokov to a friend just yesterday, but she had to put down Lolita.

The next thing I read was "Invitation to a Beheading", which I absolutely loved. His writing is sublime.

I'm currently working my way through a collection of all (all) of his short stories. There are at least eighty. Each one is incredibly tantalizing in its vividness of imagery.

Edit: I'm glad you liked Lolita - all my friends that have read it either hated it or loved it. Maybe some people have such an aversion to pedophilia that they can't get over that and appreciate it. I've seen several reviews that called it a comedy, but I think the reader is supposed to empathize with Humbert, and if that's the case I'd call it a (quite unsettling) love story.

I still haven't finished it as I find I need frequent breaks. It is disturbing but in a beautiful and interesting way; clearly not just being gratuitous.