Lolita

By: Vladimir Nabokov

Narrated by: Jeremy Irons

Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

The most famous and controversial novel from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century tells the story of Humbert Humbert’s obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze.

"The conjunction of a sense of humor with a sense of horror [results in] satire of a very special kind." —The New Yorker

Awe and exhilaration—along with heartbreak and mordant wit—abound in Lolita, which tells the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsession for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Lolita is also the story of a hypercivilized European colliding with the cheerful barbarism of postwar America.

Most of all, it is a meditation on love—love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation.

(P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

One of TIME Magazine's All-Time 100 Novels

"Lolita blazes with a perversity of a most original kind. For Mr. Nabokov has distilled from his shocking material hundred-proof intellectual farce…Lolita seems an assertion of the power of the comic spirit to wrest delight and truth from the most outlandish materials. It is one of the funniest serious novels I have ever read; and the vision of its abominable hero, who never deludes or excuses himself, brings into grotesque relief the cant, the vulgarity, and the hypocritical conventions that pervade the human comedy." —The Atlantic Monthly

"Intensely lyrical and wildly funny." —Time

"The only convincing love story of our century." —Vanity Fair

A Classic

A classic read by a master. Irons captures the tone and complexity of HH perfectly.

An Absolutely Gorgeous Audible Experience

I have tried to read LOLITA on several occassions, but for whatever reason--probably the dull, midwest monotony of my internal reading voice--have put the book down. I purchased LOLITA (read by Jeremy Irons) with a sense of trepidation (had I just bought something I would never finish?) The book is as impressive as the critics will tell you. Nabokov's language, his ability to fully render a scene, his mind-boggling vocabularly, and his characters--those desperate and beautiful and horrible creatures--are like nothing else in the canon of fiction. Add to this the luxurious experience of Jeremy Irons' voice and you end up with a book--a reading--that will make you shake your head in awe.

Nabokov Narrated with Subtlety

This audiobook is completely sustained by the superb and finely attuned narration of Jeremy Irons. While Lolita is and remains a classic of 20th Century literature, this production will allow you to see [hear] a completely new perspective. Irons takes you completely inside the mind of Humbert Humbert, and with skill and subtlety makes you loathe him and sympathize with him at the same time. His tremulous and unspeakable desire mixed with his engulfing shame, his cowardice and his bravery standing side by side, his disregard of social norms tempered by his utter need for secrecy -- all of these conflicts are roiling beneath the surface of the story as it unfolds. This is a performance that only the finest of actors could pull off.

The reading was really good!

Really good performance of the narrator. The book was beautifully written but it's still kind of disturbing if you think of it on a general term: a child molesting middle aged man. Ugh! But I think it's a good book. Not sure I'll recommend it to my friends to read though.

luxurous and immersive elegant story telling

holy carp. this is a major classic for very good reasons. even though the protagonist is the villain and absolutely deplorable, Nabakov puts you in the mind of the predator with unaplogetic and eloquent abandon.

A surprise indeed

Well to put it simply, I had no idea what this book was about and had mistaken it for a book on polio that I had opened in another tab amongts tabs of books I was debating to buy (I blame the black and white picture of a child's legs on the cover).

Let me tell you this potential reader, this book is not about polio and should not be read while taking your little brother to the playground. this book is ment for a large chair and velvetv robe while you pour a glass of french champagne and stare at your many books of philosophy and the human mind.

the first chapter or so will weird you out and it takes some time to get used to the seemingly random french dialogue that you don't understand but somehow do. I won't lie when I say I stopped listening for about a week before curiosity rose within me and I plugged in my headphones and picked up where I left off.

performance is amazing. writing is brilliant. indeed a suprise.

The most appropriate reading.

Jeremy Irons had done a splendid job in the movie version of this book and here he seems to bring out Nabokov's genius just the same. The language is beautiful and to hear the French and the English smoothly displayed by his handsome voice is very enjoyable.

A Love Affair with the English Language

What did you love best about Lolita?

Nabokov's mastery of the English language is unlike any other. He creates a wonderful conflict between the beautiful use of prose and the sickening story with which it describes. Vulgarity is not used but the plot itself is vulgar. There are a number of scenes that are perfectly captured by his choice of words.

What about Jeremy Irons’s performance did you like?

He truly becomes the main character, it felt as if Humbert himself was narrating his own memoirs to me. I wouldn't want to listen to anyone else read this story.

Any additional comments?

I would put it right up there with some of the best works written in English. A must read for those seeking out the best books of all time.

First wasn't sure

Wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book specifically after finding out about the subject matter.

Provocative story leaves you with many questions

Lolita is number 54 on the top 100 books of all time that I found on the Internet and am working my way through. The subject matter focuses on a man's lust for an underage girl. The man, turns into her stepfather, and the book chronicles his fascination, addiction and sickness and sexcapades for this 13 year-old girl. The story deliberately opens questions that are left to the reader to sort out as a moral exercise. You have to come at this book with an open mind. There story was written in the 50's and there have been several movies based on the novel.

Nobokov certainly sucks you into the mind of a pedophile, the girl and the times. There is no overt sex scenes, he relies on inference. As with many great works I have read, I cannot decide whether I like this book or not. I think it will take time to process the story. Certainly, it deserves a spot on the best 100 books. I'm glad I listened. Not too sure what else is to be said. Listen to it yourself.