HH is one of the most despicable characters I've ever read. He's repulsive and I have no pity for him. I mean, this is a guy who contemplates (or even follow through with?) the murder of a woman so he could have sex with her 12-year-old daughter. But the book itself is fascinating and beautifully written. It's the quintessential unreliable narrator - it's unclear even how much Humbert knows and is actively deceiving the reader v. how much he's unconsciously repressing or denying what happened. The language used is simply fantastic: the wit and wordplay and descriptions were brilliant but still easy enough to read and follow. I picked up on some things in this read through that I missed the first time around - e.g., the forward tells you right away what happens to "Mrs. Schiller." It's also way more clear how much Dolores was damaged here by Humbert's actions: her glances, her tears, her repulsion of HH, her disinterest in life. How little he cares about her as an actual person. He's a monster.

HH is one of the most despicable characters I've ever read. He's repulsive and I have no pity for him. I mean, this is a guy who contemplates (or even follow through with?) the murder of a woman so he could have sex with her 12-year-old daughter. But the book itself is fascinating and beautifully written. It's the quintessential unreliable narrator - it's unclear even how much Humbert knows and is actively deceiving the reader v. how much he's unconsciously repressing or denying what happened. The language used is simply fantastic: the wit and wordplay and descriptions were brilliant but still easy enough to read and follow. I picked up on some things in this read through that I missed the first time around - e.g., the forward tells you right away what happens to "Mrs. Schiller." It's also way more clear how much Dolores was damaged here by Humbert's actions: her glances, her tears, her repulsion of HH, her disinterest in life. How little he cares about her as an actual person. He's a monster.