Lolita and I
I had a bit of a panic last month because I didn't think I'd achieve my minimum number of books read for the month (4) all because I finally read Lolita.
This is a book that I have tried a million times to read over the last decade and failed every time. I used to keep it by my window in my old bedroom so I could read it when I smoked but I just found myself going over the first few pages time and time again- nothing really drew me in and there was no incentive to carry on, other than the fact that it's a Modern Classic. So, the book has been on my literal and figurative TBR pile for years. This summer, when I moved home, I packed up all my precious books in meticulously categorised boxes (think of Netflix's old categories but for books: 'gritty American romance novels', 'novels featuring a bilingual lead') ready for when I am finally able to find a home of my own. All except my infamous TBR pile. I figured that if I left myself with only books I've never read before then I might finally make a dent in the towering stack before it topples over, rather than re-reading the same books over again (hi The Secret History!) I hadn't factored in my out of control second-hand book addiction... So although I have been making fairly steady progress- reading at least 4 books PCM- I have been adding books to the pile at a rate higher than 4 PCM... Anyway back to Lolita.
The reason I finally decided to read it is because I bought and read Amy Tan's autobiographical book of essays 'The Opposite of Fate'. In it, Amy says that she thinks her favourite book is probably Lolita and so I saw it as a sign from the universe that it was finally time for me to sit down and push through the first few chapters of the book; surely I'd get into it before long- it's a classic!
Reader, I hated it.
First things first, the story is terrible. It's lazy and rank and boring. There is nothing shocking or clever about writing about some grubby paedophile in my personal opinion. I know the book was written decades ago and okay, maybe it was more impactful then but now? Nuh uh. And you know what makes it worse? It is so well written! Nabokov is obviously very very clever and the book is full of references and intertextual treats- most of which I didn't understand. Nabokov writes beautifully and it is so wasteful to have used his brilliant talent on such a tedious book. It took me a LONG time to get through it. We're talking weeks. And anyway, as I was saying; it made me worry that I might not manage to read 4 or more books that month. In the end, it was fine and I did, but the moral of the story is that 1) you oughtn't to persevere reading things that aren't either bringing you some kind of joy or pushing you forward in an aspect of your life and 2) don't place so much power in the concept of reading 4 books in a month for goodness sake what is that about??
Have you read anything that is a classique only to hate it? Or you thought you'd hate it but you loved it? (Jane Eyre for me).
More books next time!
This is a book that I have tried a million times to read over the last decade and failed every time. I used to keep it by my window in my old bedroom so I could read it when I smoked but I just found myself going over the first few pages time and time again- nothing really drew me in and there was no incentive to carry on, other than the fact that it's a Modern Classic. So, the book has been on my literal and figurative TBR pile for years. This summer, when I moved home, I packed up all my precious books in meticulously categorised boxes (think of Netflix's old categories but for books: 'gritty American romance novels', 'novels featuring a bilingual lead') ready for when I am finally able to find a home of my own. All except my infamous TBR pile. I figured that if I left myself with only books I've never read before then I might finally make a dent in the towering stack before it topples over, rather than re-reading the same books over again (hi The Secret History!) I hadn't factored in my out of control second-hand book addiction... So although I have been making fairly steady progress- reading at least 4 books PCM- I have been adding books to the pile at a rate higher than 4 PCM... Anyway back to Lolita.
The reason I finally decided to read it is because I bought and read Amy Tan's autobiographical book of essays 'The Opposite of Fate'. In it, Amy says that she thinks her favourite book is probably Lolita and so I saw it as a sign from the universe that it was finally time for me to sit down and push through the first few chapters of the book; surely I'd get into it before long- it's a classic!
Reader, I hated it.
First things first, the story is terrible. It's lazy and rank and boring. There is nothing shocking or clever about writing about some grubby paedophile in my personal opinion. I know the book was written decades ago and okay, maybe it was more impactful then but now? Nuh uh. And you know what makes it worse? It is so well written! Nabokov is obviously very very clever and the book is full of references and intertextual treats- most of which I didn't understand. Nabokov writes beautifully and it is so wasteful to have used his brilliant talent on such a tedious book. It took me a LONG time to get through it. We're talking weeks. And anyway, as I was saying; it made me worry that I might not manage to read 4 or more books that month. In the end, it was fine and I did, but the moral of the story is that 1) you oughtn't to persevere reading things that aren't either bringing you some kind of joy or pushing you forward in an aspect of your life and 2) don't place so much power in the concept of reading 4 books in a month for goodness sake what is that about??
Have you read anything that is a classique only to hate it? Or you thought you'd hate it but you loved it? (Jane Eyre for me).
More books next time!
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