Books: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - Revisited

There are some things in this world which I really envy. Especially the ability to master foreign languages. Being a narrative German speaker I am very much impressed by Vladimir Nabokov  (wikipedia.Nabokov ). This author was born and raised in Russia. Sometimes in his life he changed his writing from his native language in English. Since then Nabokov produced masterpieces of English literature.

Recently I revisited "Lolita", his most famous novel (amazon.com/Lolita. I adore the analytic style. I`m impressed how this Russian author uses the English language to create an original view of the world. He doesn`t just work with the lately acquired language, he owns it. Bravo!

The novel is written in first person. It displays the world outlook of a man who analyzes his fellow men, cold and distantly, maybe the way a cat, who is sitting on a window, spotting the world around her does. The technique Nabokov uses to describe the thinking of the invented character is brilliant. His writing is very precise and up to the point, but with a twist of humor.

Just one example: "The stars that sparkled, and the cars that parkled, and the bars, and the barmen, were presently overtaken by her; her voice stole and corrected the tune I had been mutilating".

The plot is highly morally. The book is written as a confession,  by a man sitting in prison, punished for seducing a minor and other crimes. The story has a clear message: If you break the laws you get punished and you have to suffer for it.

Anyway - Nabokov is a role model for those who study English, to become better & better every day.