Is It Wrong to Dislike Lolita?
By Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
United States
October 21, 2008 2:08am CST
I was telling some fellow audiobook readers in a chat room how I had never heard anything bad about Lolita, but after reading it I found it quite boring. I had heard it was disturbing before, but while I did find it disturbing, I guess I don't see how it needed to go on forever. Either the author needed to add some more to it, or the thing could have easily been abridged. I also don't like French or other languages in audiobooks because it is basically impossible to look words up after only hearing them.
While on most books it is totally acceptable to say that you didn't enjoy it, for some reason this book hit a soft spot with someone in the room because I was immediately jumped on for not liking this book. They told me that I was dumb and this is great literature that is not going to be dumbed down to become my sitcom entertainment. They also said I was ignorant for not knowing the tiny bit of French (their point of view, I say there was a lot).
So is it wrong to dislike Lolita? Why? It seems perfectly acceptable to dislike Harry Potter. But as soon as you dislike something that snobby people deem to be literature, some equally snobby people have to jump on you. I don't get it.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@frankiecesca (2489)
•
21 Oct 08
It's not wrong to not like something - after all we are all individuals and should be able to dislike and like our own things!! : )
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
22 Oct 08
First, they do not have the right to call you dumb just because you disagree.second, you have the right to dislike anything you have tried.What is dumb is to hate something, especially literature, that you have never tried.I never tried to read Lolita, I saw the film, the first one.Back then it was the vast age difference that was the taboo.The film is tame compared to all the films that are out now.There is a remake starring Jeremy Irons but I haven't seen it. I am real hard on remakes.And remember only a idiot would call you stupid just because you disagree with them Literature ,like with all art forms,it is a matter of taste.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
23 Oct 08
That is definitely a good point. I do always try to at least try things before disliking them. If I won't try something, I just categorize it as something I refuse to try rather than something I dislike.
I've noticed a lot of people dislike harmonica music, yet to me it is beautiful. So I guess literature is the opposite for me... a lot of people like it, I don't. With some exceptions of course.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
23 Oct 08
I like the sound of harmonicas and Chopin. I like modern art and the impressionists.Not all art is for everybody. If you can find what you really like then you are lucky.There are many things, mostly food, that I will never try but I don't say I hate them. I just won't try them.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
22 Oct 08
I didn't even know there was a movie. Perhaps the movie is better. I know it sounds bad, but most of the time I like the movie better than the book. Although, this happens less frequently with audiobooks as I am able to get a better understanding through audio.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
23 Oct 08
Thank you for that helpful tip! I didn't know there was a movie, much less two versions. I'll definitely look for the older one then.
A lot of movies seem to be like that. The first was the best. I think that's definitely the case in movies such as "The Blob" too. The first one was great, but the other one, not so much.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Different strokes for different folks..it sounds like the person who complained about your opinion is very snobbish in that they feel that their opinion is right and that comment about dumbing things down is just down right nasty.
I would ignore someone like that.
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I think that you are right about the French - I ran into a lot of French in The Time Traveler's Wife and I had issues with that - and because I couldn't look it on since it was on audio too.
I also think a lot of those older books, like the era around the time of Dickens and before, the books are boring - but they were paid by the word, so they put a lot of them in them!
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
22 Oct 08
Wow, I can't even remember any French in The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved that on audio, maybe I just missed those parts somehow though. I don't know enough French to have understood and just not noticed. In Spanish that would be more of a possibility.
Interesting to know that books used to be paid by the word. That explains a lot!
1 person likes this
