Like with any anthology, these essays from a wide range of authors on the controversial novel are not all standouts. I was particularly bugged by a few that did that ~twist~ of reimagining things from the perspective of another character (Charlotte Haze; Cheryl Strayed doing a Dear Sugar letter written by Lolita at age 80-something; groan) and I didn’t love that a couple were by writers who’d never actually read Lolita, were asked to contribute, read it, and wrote a piece in the aftermath. Every other piece basically serves as a testament to why this is a book you should mull over for awhile. A few get a little overanalytical or I just didn’t quite agree with the argument or it hardly seems worth making (like you’ll never convince me Lana Del Rey and her shtick convey a message worth hearing).

Complaints aside, the good in these was stellar. I loved that a common thread running through many, sometimes that the writers seemed to be working out themselves, was that this is a story of a too-common annihilation of a young girl by a too-common monster who hides in plain sight. I think that’s a truth many have trouble sitting with and is why people have such extreme negative reactions to the book. Some truths are hard to know.

The varying cultural perspectives are what really make this valuable: Bosnian writer Aleksandar Hemon looks at Nabokov’s ability to bend his non-native language to his own singular usage, showing others who feel torn between cultures how they can use language to do this too; Iraqi activist Zainab Salbi writes about how it’s legally ok for girls as young as nine to marry adult men in Iraq; there’s a lot of thoughtful, insightful analysis of both flawed movie versions and their places in Americana as well as what damage they’ve done; looks at Nabokov’s personality and quirks and how astonishing it is that a Russian author could write a book in English that captures so much that’s so particularly, distinctly American, right down to the road trip. Many writers share their own experiences of various iterations of abuse, often how they process it through the lens of other stories, like Lolita.

The “afterlife” of the title is post #MeToo, according to Mary Gaitskill’s essay. So there’s a lot of examination of what this all means today, also post-Jeffrey Epstein, ideas around consent, triggers, and similar in the public discourse, and even the question of whether Lolita still deserves its lofty position in literary relevance today – Morgan Jerkins’ “Lolita, #MeToo, and Myself” ties so many of these concepts together brilliantly.

Of course it deserves its renown, and not to be cancelled (apparently the New York literati wanted to at one recent point, and the consensus seems to be that despite its initial publishing difficulties, it wouldn’t be published at all today) but there are a lot of complicated things going on here, and I think it’s taken us this long to finally understand some of the messages at the core of Lolita, of what monsters and the quite ordinary destruction of women looks like and how men can get away with so much if they’re white, handsome, funny and really, only killing another white guy is the line too far, even if he was a pedophile too. And Nabokov wrapped it all in language so unusual and beautiful that it’s easy to get lost in the poetics of it, even when you reread it while older and are struck by a horror you missed at an earlier time (guilty).

In this anthology collected and edited by Jenny Minton Quigley, daughter of the publisher who brought the novel to American audiences, 30 authors explore the always controversial Lolita, discussing everything from the various ways in which we now view the classic novel during the #MeToo era, to deep dives into why it has remained an enduring read, its inability to be adapted for film and even various writer's personal connections to the text.

LOLITA IN THE AFTERLIFE by Jenny Minton Quigley is a fascinating collection of personal responses by a great variety of authors to Nabokov's Lolita. Some authors defend the book, some attack it--and all seek to understand it. Although the quality of the essays in this book are inconsistent, taken as a whole the book is very strong partly because of the way these essays speak to each other.

I have read Lolita a couple of times. Once in college and now as a wire and a mother. I was very intrigued when I saw this title. Although I’m not a huge fan of the book I did enjoy others perspectives on Lolita. I found the book interesting and thought provoking. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC for my honest review.

This review will be posted on my Goodreads.

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12409011-donna-beiderman

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Thank you so much NetGalley for early access to this book!

I enjoyed this book so much, it was an extremely diverse and interesting look at Lolita. While some essays aren't as great as others and feel like they're often repeating points already made, there are others that are complete stand outs. My favorites were Cheryl Strayed’s creative take on Dolores’ point of view and Kate Elizabeth Russell’s look back at the Lolita online community on her youth.

It’s amazing how much effect this book still has, and I think this collection will start the much needed conversation about why were still talking about Lolita.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

The cover of this book is simple but eye-catching. I loved the bright colors.
I really did enjoy this book. It was easy to read.


I'd definitely purchase a copy and check out other books by the author.

I truly enjoyed this exploration of how different writers have come to encounter Lolita - each essay offered new insight and perspective to the story. Lolita is a fascinating novel, but one that comes under a lot of scrutiny (and rightfully so, sometimes!) - however, it is important to look into the way that it has impacted our culture and other cultures, and this collection does a good job of that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the chance to read this book.