Dolores, Dolly, Lolita, Lola, Lo
I finished reading Lolita a couple of days ago, I think. Maybe a week ago.
[If you haven't read it, it's about an middle-aged European scholar who takes a job in the US and incidentally meets a widow and her young daughter. He becomes obsessed with the young daughter, named Dolores, or Lolita, as he calls her. The mother is accidentally killed, and the scholar, named Humbert Humbert, takes Dolores and travels across the continent stopping at Hotels to have his way with her. It's somewhat consensual on her part. For more information... here's a link to the Wikipedia article]
I have to say that I enjoyed the book, even though most of it was probably above my head. I did understand some of the "smart jokes", mostly because I was constantly looking up words, both in English and in French. Reading the book was a good exercise in learning new words in French. Of course, by now, I've forgotten them all.
I wasn't really appalled by the subject matter. It's a bit uncomfortable, but not... "OMG he's going to hell for even thinking of that little girl in that way". The reason I'm not too appalled is that I ended up hating the character of Dolores, in the end. I also hated Humbert Humbert, of course. But I really hated Dolly. She knew that Humbert had an infatuation with her, and so she took complete advantage of the situation. She controlled him with sex.
True, what Humbert did to her was terrible, he practically took away a "normal adolescence" from her. He was the indirect reason her mother died, and he became much too overprotective over her.
She fought back, I suppose, with the seduction thing. And finally, having ran away from him, she made a life for herself, which is good, I suppose.
So I guess they're morally ambiguous characters (I learned that from my English class last year. hoo-ray!).
I saw the 1997 film adaptation yesterday, and I have to say it was very tastefully done and didn't stray too far from the book. Nothing graphic is shown concerning Dolores. Ironically, the only "graphic" scene is one of the very last scenes, where a naked man is repeatedly shot. Kinda gross.... I hope that neither gives away too much of the plot, or discourages anyone from watching the film. It's really a good film.
I haven't seen the 1962 version, although it's done by Stanley Kubrick, which should mean that it's good. I heard it was really censored, though, and it deviated quite a lot from the book.
I'm actually very tired and restless. My aunt, uncle, and grandma are in Florida right now. They've been gone for two days. My grandfather works in a factory now from 4 to 12. So I'm home alone.
I've run out of things to do. I've made the phone calls I needed to make. I've made lunch and dinner. I've done my part of the credit card bills. I even cleaned the kitchen. Now I'm waiting. For something.
My uncle doesn't let me drive his car anymore. So I'm out of self-transportation. A really bad time, actually, because I need to buy last minute things for my trip to Colombia next week. I also wanted to see people before I left. And now I'm leaving so soon.
I'm laughing madly. See? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
There are worse things for which I'm laughing, but I'll neither write them down, or even think of them at the moment. Let them lie. I'm still living, I've two eyes, two arms, and two legs. I guess I'm reasonably happy.
I'm actually cold. Which is something new.
I don't smoke.
[If you haven't read it, it's about an middle-aged European scholar who takes a job in the US and incidentally meets a widow and her young daughter. He becomes obsessed with the young daughter, named Dolores, or Lolita, as he calls her. The mother is accidentally killed, and the scholar, named Humbert Humbert, takes Dolores and travels across the continent stopping at Hotels to have his way with her. It's somewhat consensual on her part. For more information... here's a link to the Wikipedia article]
I have to say that I enjoyed the book, even though most of it was probably above my head. I did understand some of the "smart jokes", mostly because I was constantly looking up words, both in English and in French. Reading the book was a good exercise in learning new words in French. Of course, by now, I've forgotten them all.
I wasn't really appalled by the subject matter. It's a bit uncomfortable, but not... "OMG he's going to hell for even thinking of that little girl in that way". The reason I'm not too appalled is that I ended up hating the character of Dolores, in the end. I also hated Humbert Humbert, of course. But I really hated Dolly. She knew that Humbert had an infatuation with her, and so she took complete advantage of the situation. She controlled him with sex.
True, what Humbert did to her was terrible, he practically took away a "normal adolescence" from her. He was the indirect reason her mother died, and he became much too overprotective over her.
She fought back, I suppose, with the seduction thing. And finally, having ran away from him, she made a life for herself, which is good, I suppose.
So I guess they're morally ambiguous characters (I learned that from my English class last year. hoo-ray!).
I saw the 1997 film adaptation yesterday, and I have to say it was very tastefully done and didn't stray too far from the book. Nothing graphic is shown concerning Dolores. Ironically, the only "graphic" scene is one of the very last scenes, where a naked man is repeatedly shot. Kinda gross.... I hope that neither gives away too much of the plot, or discourages anyone from watching the film. It's really a good film.
I haven't seen the 1962 version, although it's done by Stanley Kubrick, which should mean that it's good. I heard it was really censored, though, and it deviated quite a lot from the book.
I'm actually very tired and restless. My aunt, uncle, and grandma are in Florida right now. They've been gone for two days. My grandfather works in a factory now from 4 to 12. So I'm home alone.
I've run out of things to do. I've made the phone calls I needed to make. I've made lunch and dinner. I've done my part of the credit card bills. I even cleaned the kitchen. Now I'm waiting. For something.
My uncle doesn't let me drive his car anymore. So I'm out of self-transportation. A really bad time, actually, because I need to buy last minute things for my trip to Colombia next week. I also wanted to see people before I left. And now I'm leaving so soon.
I'm laughing madly. See? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
There are worse things for which I'm laughing, but I'll neither write them down, or even think of them at the moment. Let them lie. I'm still living, I've two eyes, two arms, and two legs. I guess I'm reasonably happy.
I'm actually cold. Which is something new.
I don't smoke.