Lo's Diary
 | |
| Author | Pia Pera |
|---|---|
| Original title | Diario di Lo |
| Translator | Ann Goldstein |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
| Genre | Fiction |
Publication date | 1995 |
Published in English | 1999 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 363 |
| ISBN | 0964374021 |
Lo's Diary (Italian: Diario di Lo) is a 1995 novel (ISBN 0964374021) by Pia Pera, retelling Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita from the point of view of "Dolores Haze (Lolita)".[1][2][3]
It depicts Dolores as a sadist and a controller of everyone around her; for instance, she enjoys killing small animals. It also says that Dolores did not die in childbirth, Humbert Humbert did not kill Quilty, and that all three are still alive.[4][5] Most notably, the novel takes the interpretation of Humbert as being unattractive or repulsive: he even loses his teeth at one point.
Reception[edit]
Reception was mixed, with critics agreeing that it did not live up to the source material. Entertainment Weekly said it "drags down Nabokov's blackly satiric vision, set in atomic-age suburban America, to the level of a cynical 1990s teen sex comedy".[6]
Kirkus Reviews considered it "a mix of wit and tedium in near-equal parts".[7] Publishers Weekly found it to be "compelling", with "Nabokov's subtle and elegant prose" being replaced by an "authentic adolescent tone";[8] Time, however, felt that the prose was "undistinguished" and "far too precocious and knowing for even the brightest kid".[9]
Legal issues[edit]
In 1998, Dmitri Nabokov (Vladimir's son, and executor of his father's literary estate) sued to stop the publication of the book in England, France, and the United States,[10] claiming copyright infringement. Farrar, Straus and Giroux cancelled their planned publication pending the outcome of the lawsuit;[10] eventually, a settlement was reached whereby Nabokov would contribute a preface to the book[11] and receive half the royalty payments with a $25,000 advance (which he donated to PEN International).[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Peter Bondanella, Andrea Ciccarelli (31 July 2003). The Cambridge Companion to the Italian Novel. Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 1139826107.
- ^ Dmitri Nabokov (23 August 1999). "On a book entitled "Lo's Diary"" (Opinion piece). Nerve Opinions. Nerve.com Inc. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ Pia Pera (9 September 1999). "Lo's Diary (Chapter 11)" (Extract from novel). Nerve Fiction. Nerve.com Inc. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ Ralph Blumenthal (10 October 1998). "Nabokov's Son Files Suit to Block a Retold 'Lolita'". The New York Times on the web: Arts. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (10 October 1999). "Humming Along With Nabokov" (Article). Time Magazine World. Time Inc. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ Winecoff, Charles (29 October 1999). "Lo's Diary". Entertainment Weekly. [dead link]
- ^ "LO'S DIARY". Kirkus Reviews. 15 September 1999.
- ^ "Lo's Diary". Publishers Weekly. August 30, 1999. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (October 10, 1999). "Humming Along With Nabokov". Time. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ a b Garbus, Martin (September 26, 1999). "Lolita and the Lawyers". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^ Zanganeh, Lila Azam (February 28, 2012). "Reading Nabokov to Nabokov". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^ Gill, Alexandra. "Little Lo Lost in a Literary Feud". The Evergreen Review. Retrieved November 13, 2018.