Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

A reissue of one of the greatest works of the 20th century. Edited by Nabokov Foundation expert Andrei Babikov, this edition corrects observed typos while preserving certain idiosyncrasies of Nabokov's spelling, transliteration, and punctuation. It is now a classic of world literature, a novel that no connoisseur of subtle and intelligent prose can afford to miss. The book has been included in lists of the greatest books of the century by the Modern Library, Le Monde, and Time. But when Nabokov finished the work in 1954, no American publisher dared to take on its publication. Eventually, the French publisher Olympia Press, which produced avant-garde and erotic literature, agreed. Since then, the novel has been banned and cursed, praised and idolized. The story of thirty-seven-year-old Humbert Humbert's passion for his twelve-year-old stepdaughter Dolores is one of the first literary works to dedicate itself to an extensive exploration of the theme of pedophilia. But this is only the foreground of the work, and the number of layers in "Lolita" is incredibly vast. Herein lie a parody of popular literary genres, a reflection on American and European cultures, a flawless stylistic experiment, and a sorrow for lost innocence—not of one specific girl, but of an entire era in which the novel’s action unfolds.
A forty-year-old writer and rentier, having moved from Paris to America, falls in love with a twelve-year-old provincial schoolgirl, his desire to possess whom becomes his ruinous obsession. Having brought Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) world fame, and technically one of his most perfect books—daring, profound, witty, poignant, and vivid—"Lolita" (1955) invariably divides readers into two categories: those who admire brilliant art and all others.
In the mid-60s, Nabokov created a Russian version of his favorite book, incorporating various additions and refinements. The Russian edition was published in New York in 1967. Despite a ban that lasted until 1989, "Lolita" was widely circulated in the USSR and had a significant influence on all subsequent Russian literature.

Author: Vladimir Nabokov

Pages: 544 (typographic). Hardcover

Dimensions: 207x136x42 mm