Top 30 Modern Classics - XIX

Lolita

Vladimir Nobokov

Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, written in English and first published in 1955 in Paris.

Humbert Humbert, a European literary scholar, had developed fixations for very young girls. He marries an adult woman with childish mannerisms, Valeria. Valeria admits to having an affair with a taxi driver. Humbert's marriage dissolves and he suffers a mental collapse. After treatment he moves to Ramsdale, New England.

Humbert  finds residence with one Mrs Haze, who has a 12 year old daughter, Dolores - Lo, Lola or Dolly in short. Humbert nicknames the daughter as Lolita.

 One Sunday, Humbert and Lolita find themselves alone in their home. Humbert secretly ejaculates in his pants as Lolita sits on his lap. She does not notice and leaves for the movies. 

Lolita has leave for a camp on a Thursday.That Thursday, before getting in the car, Lolita runs back into the house and kisses Humbert goodbye. Lolita's Mother, Mrs Haze - Charlotte - falls in love with Humbert. She writes a letter to Humbert asking him either to marry her or leave her house. Humbert agrees to marry Charlotte. Charlotte gets hold of Humbert's diary and comes to know of his feelings for her daughter. Charlotte becomes angry and disturbed. She goes out of her home to mail some letters she had wriiten and run over by an automobile and killed.

Humbert brings Lolita back from camp, lying that Charlotte has been hospitalized, and takes Lolita to a hotel. He plans to seduce Lolita in the hotel after using a sleeping pill on her. However Humbert fails in his intentions as the sleeping pill was mild. In the morning hours, Lolita initiates sexual union with Humbert. Humbert reveals to Lolita that her mother is dead. Thereafter Lolita and Humbert drive around the country, moving from state to state and motel to motel. After a year of touring, the two settle in another New England town. Humbert becomes very possessive of Lolita and seeks from her sexual favors which she grants. 

They  embark on another road trip. Lolita falls ill and is hospitalised. Humbert stays in a nearby motel. One morning Humbert is informed by the hospital staff that Lolita has checked out with her uncle.in the morning that her uncle checked her out. Humbert's frantic search for her yields no result.

Humbert receives a letter from Lolita, now 17, who tells him that she is married, pregnant, and in desperate need of money. Humbert finds her and wants to know the name of the abductor who had checked Lolita out of the hospital. She narrates what had happened to her. She worked odd jobs before meeting and marrying her husband, who knows nothing about her past. Humbert asks Lolita to leave with him which she refuses. He gives her a good sum and leaves. 

Humbert tracks down abductor of Lolita and kills him. 

I leave the ending for the Reader to read.

One of the best classics written in the 20th century.

Namaste

Prabir