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Lolita



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Thu Nov 23, 2006 1:13 am
Emerson says...



So you're going on a Nabokov craze? Nice. I wish I was.
“It's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
  





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Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:30 am
lucafont90 says...



I guess that you could call it that. Yes, I'm going on a Nabokov craze.
I am a published author with two novels on the market.
  





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Sun Nov 26, 2006 5:32 pm
Meta-Messiah says...



I read "Lolita" a few months ago and like Humbert and his nymphets i was totally entranced by this book. I've been on a bit of a Russian kick recently, slowly working my way through the classics, and what really struck me was how vivid his language and imagery was. Although i love all the Russian authors i have read; Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Turgenev etc i have always felt that the actual language used was a little bland. Personally i put this down to translation, Nabokov is the only Russian author i have ever read who wrote in English, maybe I'm just not giving Nabokov enough credit and he is truly a standout Russian author, or maybe he is giving us a glimpse of how it is to read Russian literature in its mother tongue.
"Ich weisse jetzt was keine engle weisse" Wings of desire
  





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Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:13 pm
Emerson says...



i have always felt that the actual language used was a little bland. Personally i put this down to translation


I also blame it on translation, and just like you I've been going on a bit of a Russian frenzy :-D But, because of that, I'd like to learn Russian (or at least be able to read it). I've come to realize that the easiest way to ruin good fiction is in translation. Thats why Nabokov amazes me so much, he is "entrancing" with his English, but it isn't even his native language! That is beauty.

It's so perfectly written, written better than most could do if English was their first language.

But yes, wit the Russian classics, I put that all on the translation.
“It's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
  





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Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:58 am
Mr. Everyone says...



I have heard alot about it, so yes I read this one=) It is good! not the best, but deffinetely up there on my top 10 or so

keep writing and =) happy reading (=
~Everyone~

=) *wave*
  





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Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:50 pm
lucafont90 says...



That's just it, though. Nabokov translated Lolita into russian after it was published in English, so it could have nothing to do with translation.

EDIT: Never mind the above post.
I am a published author with two novels on the market.
  





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Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:41 pm
Esmé says...



I've never read an english translation of "Lolita" ( nor any other, lol, I'm finishing the polish one). -Though polish and russian are simillar, aren't they?

For now I can't say that I absolutely loved it (again, I haven't finihsed the book yet) but its not bad. Maybe in a couple of year it will seem better?

-elein.
  





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Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:14 pm
Emerson says...



You are reading a polish version of Lolita?

Hmm... I hope its good. The whole wonder of Lolita is the way it is written, and translations always leave room for error and to make the books not as magical.

The best thing about Lolita is the way its written; the English version, since it is the original. I suggest you eventually read the English version :-D
“It's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
  





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Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:40 pm
BoyAfraid says...



I finished Lolita a few months ago, it took me a little over two weeks because i was so into it. In fact it was the opening paragraph that did it for me. Also, I love books where the author uses language to hide vile or disgusting acts, pedophilia and child abduction don't seem so bad when its told by silver tongued poet Humbert Humbert.
  








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