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The 100 best novels: No 75 – Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
The Guardian ^ | 2/23/2015 | Robert McCrum

Posted on 02/23/2015 9:41:24 AM PST by Borges

One of Lolita’s first supporters, the great critic Lionel Trilling, addressed what is perhaps a central issue at the heart of this controversial novel, when he warned of the moral difficulty in interpreting a book with such an eloquent narrator: “We find ourselves the more shocked when we realize that, in the course of reading the novel, we have come virtually to condone the violation it presents… We have been seduced into conniving in the violation, because we have permitted our fantasies to accept what we know to be revolting.”

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature
KEYWORDS: lolita; nabokov; vladimirnabokov
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To: discostu
If you want art to serve your mind and help you understand Truth you MUST consume art that challenges you.

Must? Not sure. Art can challenge you without "seducing" you "into conniving in the violation, because we have permitted our fantasies to accept what we know to be revolting".

By avoiding challenge you flee from Truth.

Life's filled with enough challenges, and one simply cannot avoid Truth indefinitely. Further, one needn't elevate the process of tempting or being tempted to "art" in order to be properly challenged or to encounter the truth.

101 posted on 02/23/2015 1:13:23 PM PST by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: Borges
attack on you or your taste

You completely missed my point.

You assumed I didn't know that an artist like Chopin didn't have detractors.

Of course I know that every major artist has detractors from Shakespeare to The Beatles to Nabokov.

Doesn't take many brain cells to get that.

102 posted on 02/23/2015 1:13:52 PM PST by what's up
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To: 9thLife

‘Paradise Lost’ also tempts the reader to sympathize with Satan - who is a very charismatic character.


103 posted on 02/23/2015 1:18:57 PM PST by Borges
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To: Borges
I have never read Lolita, but more than once have had it recommended to me. I have only seen the Kubrick film. I don't think I could ever get past the creepiness of the story enough to actually read the novel. The film is one of my least favorite of Kubrick's.
104 posted on 02/23/2015 1:22:55 PM PST by Sans-Culotte (Psalm 14:1 ~ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”)
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To: Sans-Culotte

I like the Kubrick film but it’s certainly not the novel. Just avoid the awful 1990s film with Jeremy Irons.


105 posted on 02/23/2015 1:25:09 PM PST by Borges
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To: 9thLife

You continue it deliberately not understand that sentence. It’s a divided sentence, working with the barrier between what you might fantasize about and what you would actually do. If you can’t acknowledge that you would (and probably occasionally do) fantasize about things you know are wrong you can’t understand Truth. It’s in the nature of sin that we want to do things we know are wrong, and in being righteous we don’t do them. Have you never thought the world would be a better place is Person X died? But you don’t kill them, and you probably even post-pend that thought with a bit of guilt because good people know you really shouldn’t wish ill upon others. That’s the exact same thing, your fantasies have accepted something (”sure would be nice if that jerk had a heart attack”) that you know is revolting (wishing people dead is wrong).

The fact that you continue to grossly not understand that sentence shows exactly what I’m talking about. You are fleeing from Truth, you will not acknowledge that we do dream of things we shouldn’t. Lolita isn’t tempting, the actions in the book always remain wrong and the reader never doubts it, it’s simply reminding us of the dream-action barrier.


106 posted on 02/23/2015 1:26:05 PM PST by discostu (The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun)
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To: 9thLife
Art is supposed to express the truth.

Post-Western society has adopted the words of Roman prefect Pontius Pilatus as its creed:

"What is truth?"

John 18:38

107 posted on 02/23/2015 1:28:50 PM PST by Jeff Chandler (Doctrine doesn't change. The trick is to find a way around it.)
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To: Borges

Similar to the experience of viewers of the TV series “Breaking Bad” (in my opinion).


108 posted on 02/23/2015 1:34:55 PM PST by safeasthebanks ("The most rewarding part, was when he gave me my money!" - Dr. Nick)
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

James Joyce.

“Welcome, O life, I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.”


109 posted on 02/23/2015 1:45:13 PM PST by ifinnegan
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To: Borges

No i have not..

nor am i questioning if it does or does not have merit....that is beside the point....

The point was if something has artistic value....can it still be condemned on the merit of it message?...

my point.. yes it can and is commonly done...

the question if something is art is not the same as the merit of its message..

In fact art ..a book or film can, with skillful editing, have its message changed 180 degrees (pro become anti, anti becomes pro).. and still remain art...

Its very common it music to take say a patriotic song..and alter the tempo and tone to make it mock the same message


110 posted on 02/23/2015 1:49:09 PM PST by tophat9000 (An Eye for an Eye, a Word for a Word...nothing more)
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To: tophat9000

Well and good. In this case the message is not problematic in the way you hear from people who assume they know what it’s about. Besides I can disagree with the message and still enjoy great art. Wagner’s operas have a moral vision that’s pretty repugnant - to take one example.


111 posted on 02/23/2015 2:03:44 PM PST by Borges
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

I posted the James Joyce quote to show what he said was the purpose of his art.

Nothing at all about challenging or shocking people.

But, after writing the above, Joyce went on and wrote one of the most challenging works of art of the English language Its purpose was not to challenge but to create.

Similarly, with tour Kafka quote, he is describing properties of art he values. Never does he say the challenge Is the purpose, but he is describing the effect art he likes has on him.

And I’d also say what Kafka is describing is a personal preference and in no way reflects the purpose of any and all art.


112 posted on 02/23/2015 2:05:02 PM PST by ifinnegan
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

Keep in mind as well that Kafka wrote that when he was only 20 years old.

That is the sort of thing a young man says and thinks.

I sure did.


113 posted on 02/23/2015 2:27:05 PM PST by ifinnegan
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To: Borges

Fair point..


114 posted on 02/23/2015 2:34:14 PM PST by tophat9000 (An Eye for an Eye, a Word for a Word...nothing more)
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To: GeronL

It’s actually not about a pedophile - it’s about a hebephile (attracted to the pubescent as opposed to the pre-pubescent).


115 posted on 03/30/2015 3:32:43 PM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

no big difference, deserves the same death


116 posted on 03/30/2015 3:34:06 PM PDT by GeronL
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