Key Facts about Lolita
Publication and Reception
- Published in 1955 in Paris (first English edition)
- Initially rejected by multiple American publishers due to controversial content
- Written by Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)
- Considered one of the most controversial yet significant novels of the 20th century
The novel was first published in France because American publishers feared legal consequences due to its controversial subject matter.
Setting and Time Period
- Takes place in 1940s-1950s America
- Spans multiple locations across the United States
- Primary settings include:
- New England (Ramsdale)
- Cross-country road trips
- Small-town America
Narrative Structure
- Written as a memoir/confession from prison
- First-person unreliable narrator (Humbert Humbert)
- Contains a fictional foreword by "John Ray Jr., Ph.D."
- Structured in two parts:
- Humbert's history and relationship with Dolores
- Their road trips and eventual separation
Pay attention to the unreliable narrator device - Humbert's perspective colors everything we read, and his account cannot be taken at face value.
Major Characters
- Humbert Humbert (narrator and protagonist/antagonist)
- Dolores Haze ("Lolita") - 12-year-old girl
- Charlotte Haze - Dolores's mother
