Bibliograph

The real Lolita, the kidnapping of Sally Horner and the novel that scandalized the world, Sarah Weinman

Type

Label

The real Lolita, the kidnapping of Sally Horner and the novel that scandalized the world, Sarah Weinman

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrationsportraits

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The real Lolita

Nature of contents

bibliography

Responsibility statement

Sarah Weinman

Sub title

the kidnapping of Sally Horner and the novel that scandalized the world

Summary

Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time. And yet very few of its readers know that the subject of the novel was inspired by a reallife case: the 1948 abduction of elevenyearold Sally Horner. Weaving together suspenseful crime narrative, cultural and social history, and literary investigation, The Real Lolita tells Sally Horner's full story for the very first time. Drawing upon extensive investigations, legal documents, public records, and interviews with remaining relatives, Sarah Weinman uncovers how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing Lolita. Sally Horner's story echoes the stories of countless girls and women who never had the chance to speak for themselves. By diving deeper in the publication history of Lolita and restoring Sally to her rightful place in the lore of the novel's creation, The Real Lolita casts a new light on the dark inspiration for a modern classic

Target audience

adult

resource.variantTitle

Lolita, the kidnapping of Sally Horner and the novel that scandalized the world

Contributor