Lolita, Lolita, Lollita...

I have just finished reading Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov and, thanks to my joyful spouting about the book as I read it - to anyone and everyone who would listen, I now have an impressive waiting list to borrow my copy.

So much did I enjoy reading Lolita, a recommendation from a friend who has also suggested a number of other beautiful reads that I have decided to dedicate an entire blog entry to it.

Lolita, regularly referred to as one of the most important novels of the 20th century, is a note worthy book for many reasons, including the following:

• Lolita is one of the most beautiful works of prose that you are likely to come across. Each page is wonderful dance of observation and painstaking description, which takes the reader into the heart and soul of the main character so that for all the world you see and feel each experience with a devout empathy for him. 
• The story is fundamentally about a paedophile and his obsession with his young stepdaughter, but due too the skill of the writing you almost passover that fact. Which can lead you to ask many uncomfortable questions of your own morality.

Indeed, as if to highlight my second point, many times throughout the book I found myself quite annoyed by the childs ungrateful antics towards the attentions of her guardian, and it is not until you reach the final stages of the book and our MC evaluates his behaviour that you begin to switch your view, seeing him for the beast he really was and her for the poor, lost and lonely child with nowhere else to go.

Whilst reading Lolita I was inspired to attempt a more poetic type of prose myself.  Writer's Beat members can find this on the Member's forum, entitled 'Strawberry Afternoon'.  It's drawn mixed reviews so far, and of course is nothing more than a humble experiment in the wake of Nabokov.  However it was most  enjoyable to write and something I may try again in the future.