A Reader's Guide to Nabokov's 'Lolita' (Studies in Russian and Slavic Literatures, Cultures, and History)

One of the most fascinating and controversial novels of the twentieth century, Vladimir Nabokov s Lolita is renowned for its innovative style and notorious for its subject matter and influence on popular culture. The book guides readers through the intricacies of Nabokov s work and helps them achieve a better understanding of his rich artistic design. The book opens with a detailed chronology of Nabokov s life and literary career. Chapters include an analysis of the novel, a discussion of its precursors in Nabokov s work and in world literature, an essay on the character of Dolly Haze (Humbert s Lolita ), and a commentary on the critical and cultural afterlife of the novel. The volume concludes with an annotated bibliography of selected critical reading. The guide should prove illuminating both for first-time readers of Lolita and for experienced re-readers of Nabokov s text.