His every intake of breath is part of the story, every pause is there for a reason, every single syllable is spoken in just the perfect way to put you inside poor Humbert Humbert's sad mind until you start mentally narrating your routine daily life with the same sinister intonations. I would listen to him narrate the phone book to me, and not just because he's Jeremy Irons, but because he really and truly brings this book to life and I know he would make every name in the yellow pages ring with significance and meaning until I cried with the beauty of it all. I will always remember this book, but I will never read it again. But something just prevents me from doing that.

I know I should give it a five if I were true to my formula which is, if a book changes my life, it is an automatic 5, even if I didn't like it so much. So, fabulous writing, fabulous narration, but sad story equals at the very least an interesting book. He is, as you would expect, a fabulous narrator. I am sure one of the reasons I continued with this book is Jeremy Irons' narration. I can't say that I'm sorry I read it, but it makes me sick to think about it very much. I think I have to give this book three stars, sort of in the middle of things, because I sit the fence on it. Haven't had something affect me like this since 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles.' I don't recommend either book, btw, not unless you are into heavy, sad but beautifully written books. I guess my heart breaks for Humbert as well. It seems to me that it takes a lot more skill to suggest what is going on than it does to spell it all out. There are no graphic details other than a kiss, but of course it is extremely suggestive. What she must have gone through!! Now with that said, I come back to the writing itself. It somehow evolves from her nickname of 'Lo' into the more seductive sounding Lolita. My heart just breaks for Lolita, whose real name is Dolores.

In short, someone who would be attractive to most women, and certainly to young girls. He is educated, handsome, extremely polite and thoughtful. Well this man is certifiably crazy, although he puts on a great exterior. You start to believe that Lolita welcomes this until she gets a good chance to run away, and then she is gone. It is the story of a pedophile who is so crazy about this 12 year old girl that he marries her mother so he can have access to her. But the story, frankly, made me a little sick to my stomach. As far as the writing itself, it was beautifully written.

I just don't know what to rate this book.

Instal Lolita free