Books

First edition, first printing. [One of 5 000 copies printed]. Nabokov completed 'Lolita' in December 1953, but faced rejection from several American publishers unwilling to take on the novel due to fears of negative repercussions from publishing what they considered a 'pornographic' work. Consequently, he sought a publisher in Paris, and in 1955, 'The Olympia Press' printed 5 000 copies of the novel. Shortly after, customs officials in the UK were instructed to seize copies of the book at the border. A year later, under pressure from the British government, 'Lolita' was banned in France as well. Despite widespread censorship, the book's success remained undiminished. Upon its eventual publication in the USA in 1958, it quickly climbed to the top of bestseller lists, selling 100 000 copies in the first few weeks. 'Lolita' was initially published with 'Francs: 900' printed on the rear covers, but a sudden currency fluctuation at the time of publication (according to another opinion –…

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.