14. OLD PHONE AND TWINKLE
Every great novel operates on two levels, one literal, one figurative, with the literal interpretation merely a means toward the metaphoric end. One should never take great novels literally. Lolita isn’t about p********a, it’s about a contest between poetry and prose, with language — specifically American English — holding the stakes. It’s the English language that Humbert (poetry) ravages, that he probes and fondles in a series of motel rooms. An interstate tug-of-war ensues, with Quilty (plot) in pursuit of Humbert, intent on claiming the nymphet for his own prosaic ends. In the end, Plot is riddled with bullets (of lead, but really of words). Plot murdered, contest won, poetry triumphant. Only dimwits think Lolita is about p********a.
Taking any great novel l
