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But I read Lolita multiple times as a teen—the first time being in middle school—so that I could know the sexual predator (the natural enemy of the teenage girl) and see into their twisted delusions and justifications/learn to recognize their manipulation tactics. I truly think this paid off. But it was also my first Nabokov read and I fell in love with his beautiful prose—nobody does it like him! 🥲
Apr 27, 2024

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Can’t relate. Tried to read it recently and found it extremely disturbing, couldn’t go beyond half of it.
Apr 29, 2024
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real af
Apr 27, 2024
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Damn! And here I thought reading James Baldwin at 16 was pretentious
Apr 27, 2024
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Obviously. Irrepressible in its lavishness…a novel of true decadence and maximalism. Featuring breathless, flushed sexuality, it is a revelation of the aesthetic charge of our bodies. I could list some quotes but the point is that reading it is an electrifying experience and if you feel it needs defending I point you towards Becca Rothfeld’s article ‘the Real Lolita’ in issue 20 of The Point.
Jan 28, 2024
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- metafiction with a twist: the book presents as if it was a serious literary commentary (with footnotes and everything) of the last poem of a recently-murdered poet. but oh... never trust a nabokov narrator...
- perfect for internet sleuths, gossips, and folks who always think their partner is cheating on them and need another outlet for that energy: overthink this. it's how it's meant to be read. decode the footnotes, the glossary, the index, as well as the main text. really take your time with it. go on. you got the time clearly...
- raise eyebrows at the bus but only for good reasons: you can bring this baby outside no problem. get the sophistication of Nabokov without the "hmm reader with critical thinking skills or pedophile with no reading comprehension?" of Lolita.
Oct 6, 2024
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Everyone knows about Lolita, but Mary is where it’s at.
Feb 19, 2025

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It lends a reflective and wistful tone to written communications imo…
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My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebody—be it a relative or one of my best friends—was to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too 💌
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