Lolita turns fifty

As I read in a piece in 'Spectrum' (Sun Herald, 26/11/05), “it is literature’s ability to take us into the mind world of another that is its differentiating power”.

Too true. In fact Lolita is one of my favourite books for that reason. But I loved Nabokov for not entirely abandoning Lolita to Humbert’s mindset despite his literary imperative.

He clearly describes, albeit in one paragraph, how Lolita’s cheeks are wet, while Humbert holds her head in his lap while he is in the throws of ecstasy. The girl is crying - hardly a willing subject.

Later, when Lolita is limp with fever, Humbert feels so sorry for her the strength of his compassion turns to lust. Lolita’s body, dripping in sweat and almost dead, becomes like a rag doll as he satisfies his “passion”.

These two images, although only two paragraphs in the whole book, expose the true horror and extent of Humbert’s justification of his lust.

Anyone reading it closely could not fail to see these signposts for what they are. Clear indications of what’s really going on. The only shame is that with only a couple of paragraphs, it’s all too easy for those who want to be blind to the hideous damage and distortion of a young girl’s innocence, are all too easily able to keep their blinkers on.

But surely now, 50 years on, we’ve come of age as a society and are able make and view the shocking truth of child sexual abuse through a Lolita film which includes these two scenes with an actress who looks like a child of 12.