August Nights

64

hiyaaaa this is a filler sorry :)

but happy reading lol 

"Nabokov himself has stated that Lolita is a novel "without a moral" so it's a hard one to pin down. There is so much beauty amidst a whole lot of ugly. It is easy to recognize that the style of writing is beyond extraordinary–. It also, however, highlights the utter disgustingness that is paedophilia."

My lecturer continues. "If this had been a book about two lovers of approximately the same age it would've been declared as one of the most artfully crafted works of romance literature to date, but instead it was focused on a 12-year-old child, the context being statutory rape."

"As a reader you are almost assured to get lost in the words once in a while, but you also walk away from it 100% reassured that the crimes Humbert Humbert commits are unacceptable and vile. After every sit down with the text I would carry the weight of what I read around for hours, unable to escape the dirty feeling one gets from reading such scenes."

"So for this assignment I want you to explain how. How Nabokov does this. How he writes such disgusting ideas and moments, but makes the reader get lost in them. I was you to show me through methods and language how an author has managed to do this.... And I also want you to tell me why."

I just take short notes as he speaks on the assignment. There's an assignment brief as well. So I don't worry too much. Just listen.

"How and Why are the focus of this essay. So please remember that. I don't want analysis of his flowery language, if I see the word simile or metaphor, I will pull my hair out. I want pure analysis and thought. Okay?"

We all sorta nod and he flashes a grin.

"Great. Come to the front if you have any questions. If not. I look forward to reading your essays."

Everyone starts to pack up and I drop my notebook into my bag.

"Hey you wanna grab coffee?" Tate asks. They always ask this and I usually say yes. But Henry was coming to meet me today after this lecture so instead I just sent them a smile.

"Sorry, my friend's coming to meet me. But next week?"

"Yes." They smile, extending the s sound and Tate grabs their bag and swings it in their shoulder, I practically have to dodge it. They do this every single week.

This is the only lecture we share. Controversial Lit, but I always sit next to them and for the past few weeks we've been going for coffee after.

Tate is nonbinary, they explained about preferring they/them pronouns last week over coffee and i am not going to lie, it takes a lot of practice to get it right. But it's amazing meeting so many new people and so many people who are just unapologetically themselves.

Tate is sort of the most beautiful person I have ever met. Like is it bad that I genuinely chose to sit next to them because I for real just saw them and thought they were so beautiful that I had to talk to them? Like they have a shaved head and their eyes were so big, bright green.

When I asked if I could sit they immediately complimented my clothes and from then we just exchange compliments for the first five minutes of the lecture until Sam comes in and starts the lecture.

I look forward to it all week, it's fun.

We head our separate ways and as I push open the door looking around for Henry I notice him shivering cradling take away coffees in his hand.

I skip down the steps to him and grin.

"Hiya."

He looks up.