On Sun, Nov 3, 2013 at 7:24 PM, joseph Aisenberg <vanveen13@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
...
 
  So in answer, I do think at some level Humbert is a reliable narrator--Vladimir Nabokov himself, the precise fatal synchronizer of all his books. And yet--the fun of his books--is that even as they collapse, their dreamy worlds remain intact, Humbert's misdemeanors are bracing, repellent, compelling; Lolita is sharp, funny, courageous, and heartbreaking.
...

I think Joseph Aisenberg's mention of Nabokov as the narrator raises an important point.  Nabokov's occasional reminders that we're reading fiction may be intended to make us good readers who, instead of getting lost in human interest, admire the author's skill.  This may be why, as Joseph points out, those reminders often consist of Nabokov pointing at himself.

Jerry Friedman
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