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mollywolfie's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mil4's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
missbookiverse's review against another edition
3.0
It was a bit boring to read this after Lolita (it's basically a very short first draft of Lolita) but it already shows what a genius Nabokov is when it comes to language. Also, it's interesting to see the changes he made between the 2 versions, for example the girl in this story seemed much younger than 12-year-old Lolita which made the whole situation even more disgusting. On top of that the abuse is described in rather explicit detail which never really happens in Lolita. All in all it's worth the read but do yourself a favor and save Lolita as the finale.
almastella's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
saeworms's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
coffeedragon's review against another edition
3.0
I've been wanting to check out Lolita for the longest time now but the one time I started it, I couldn't finish it. The language in it was just a tad more difficult than I could read, possibly because I was too young at the time. In the Enchanter we get a similar relationship of an older man and a younger girl (lolita). Even though this book goes into some pedophilic mentality, the language is just so beautiful that it makes it hard to put it down. Suffice to say I wish express feelings in this way, but that was all this book had going for it. The story is very simple and at times I couldn't help but chuckle at the predicaments the old man put himself in with the end goal of lolita. The ending did feel a tad rushed to me and I even had to reread it to make sure of what happened
A decent read
A decent read
kelsdafirenze's review against another edition
3.0
As a lover of Lolita and Nabokov’s prose I can enjoy The Enchanter but I’m very aware it is only the bones of a much greater creature. If I had read this first or without having enjoyed the subterfuge of Lolita I believe I would have thrown it away without finishing the short 58 pages.
The narration is omnipotent, meaning we see much less deviant attempts to convince the reader of his innocence, there is less of the seductive and unreliable narration we find with Humber Humbert which is interesting to see how Nabokov transformed him from a predator into a predator with a knack for grooming the audience too.
The narration is omnipotent, meaning we see much less deviant attempts to convince the reader of his innocence, there is less of the seductive and unreliable narration we find with Humber Humbert which is interesting to see how Nabokov transformed him from a predator into a predator with a knack for grooming the audience too.