Episode 12: Hitting the Road with LOLITA

Great American Novel

The Great American Novel podcast is an ongoing discussion about the novels we hold up as significant achievements in our American literary culture. Additionally, we sometimes suggest novels who should break into the sometimes problematical canon and at other times we’ll suggest books which can be dropped from such lofty consideration. Your hosts are Kirk Curnutt and Scott Yarbrough, professors with little time and less sense who nonetheless enjoy a good book banter.

In Episode 12 our intrepid profcasters lay into the most controversial novel of the 20th Century, Vladimir Nabokov’s LOLITA. Is it Great? Is it American? What do we make of the controversies, the films? We tackle the book and try to search for the real Dolores Haze within the text, and consider the best way to read Humbert Humbert, much less how we should pronounce his name (not to mention the author's).

Film trailer clips are from the Kubrick 1962 film and the 1997 film by Adrian Lyne. All show music is by Lobo Loco. The intro song is “Old Ralley”; the intermission is “The First Moment,” and the outro is “Inspector Invisible.” For more information visit: https://locolobomusic.com/.

We may be contacted at greatamericannovelpodcast (@) gmail.com.