Lolita

Just finished reading Nabokov'sLolita two nights ago. Was always so scared to read the book. Figured that if I felt a tingling in my groin while reading about some explicit scene involving a pre-teen that I was perverted and doing something gravely wrong. This time, just figured that hell, if some part of it turned me on, it's because it's erotica--it's supposed to turn people on. That being said, I ended up appreciating a lot of the book; it was exciting to read, and kept me anticipating the next scene or chapter. I felt many different emotions while reading it... of course my groin tingled, but I also felt disgusted (of course) by the blatant dirtiness of Humbert Humbert (the main character), and I also felt slightly sympathetic toward his overwhelming love/obsession/utter depravity/minutely redeeming parts of his character. Overall, I'd recommend the book, it definitely has it's really despicable moments, but Humbert's voice is so interesting that you have to keep reading. Also, I always assumed it was such a "European" book, only to find that it actually is mostly set in America, and has some sense of being a "Great American Novel," with some chapters that sum up the family road trip so well (except in Lolita, there's a molester involved). Looking forward to seeing the movie at some point to compare it with the book.