Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita is a very strange novel. It's undeniably good; the language, the characters, even the situations are all interesting. The novel is humorous, also, and there are instances when characters are placed in situations that are funny, regardless of any moral implications that are also present. Despite these things, however, I think the thing that's most appealing about the book, as well as the thing that makes it uniquely strange, is the sense of underlying irony that's present throughout the novel.

For those of you who haven't read the book, or more still, haven't seen the movie, Lolita is a novel about a pre-teenage girl becoming sexually involved with a middle aged man. It's become sort of a cultural icon, even to the point that the name Lolita is synonymous with a sexually active young girl. The man, a self-confessed lover of young "nymphets", marries the girl's mother in order to stay close to her, and ultimately ends up traveling around the country with her, keeping her with him at all times. The relationship between the two is very complicated; on one had Lolita was the one who initiated the sexual acts between the two, but ultimately she becomes a kind of sexual prisoner, with the protagonist, Humbert Humbert, taking the role of her father as they travel the country. He fulfills his urges with her physically, and she responds by accepting gifts and rewards for her involvement, despite her disgust with the situation.

From this description, it would seem that the book would be a pervert's delight, filled with erotic scenes between the old man and his young sexual slave. The material of the novel is more conducive of this type of writing, and one would expect the language to match. But the language, however, is where the irony of the novel comes into play. Nobokov writes the novel from the perspective of the protagonist, a well-educated Frenchman, and as such he frames it with language that fits. The language is flowery and verbose, flamboyant and esoteric; it is full of figurative language and long words, and it is actually quite difficult to read. It's this juxtaposition of language and content that makes the novel so interesting.

Irony is a funny thing. It can be funny on many levels, both extrinsically and intrinsically. While the novel doesn't strike one as overtly ironic, when you stop to consider the content being described, in one particular scene Humbert has his "daughter" gratify him under the desk at her all-girls school, as well ass the beautiful language being used, the talent of the author in creating such an ironic and creative format is amazing. These ideas, that the content of the novel isn't reflected by the language being used, is very provocative, and because of them the novel is overwhelmingly good. It is an exercise and tour de force in irony, and shouldn't be missed.