Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

"I don't read to gain knowledge about people, places or customs; I read because reading takes me to a new high where my imagination knows no bounds and I am a free spirit without any apprehensions ."

It was on a friend's suggestion that I picked Lolita and it did make a wonderful reading - one of my best so-far. The theme of the book was definitely a revolutionary one and that's why this masterpiece had to wait a good number of years before it finally got published. But then if writers are not free to pen down their imagination without any inhibitions then who else will be.

Our protagonist Humbert, is a forty year old gentleman who loved and lost his childhood sweetheart when he was a kid. The memories of her remained so deeply engraved in his mind that he ended up having several broken affairs and marriages. His life however takes a u-turn when he meets Lolita, a 12 year old girl (actually his step-daughter) and he falls madly in love with her.The story revolves around how he tries to win Lolita, how she goes missing and how he finds her three years later and realises that his love had gone wrong somewhere.

While reading the book, I was shocked and angered to start off, understood the sentiments of the characters as the story progressed and finally felt sympathy and pity towards both Humbert and Lolita (although anger towards Humbert still persisted). What I liked the most about the book is the simplicity in which such a confound subject is presented to the reader.And not to mention the beautiful poetic style of the author which made this book un-put-downable:-).