Reception of the novel "Lolita" in China

The article is dedicated to the reception of the novel "Lolita" in China, which began in the 1980s. With the efforts of Chinese "Anglicists" and "Russists," by 2024, the number of literary studies devoted to "Lolita" amounts to over six hundred. By 2024, a total of 21 translations of "Lolita" have been published in China. This article examines: the initial critiques by Chinese scholars, the analysis of character images, the differences in approaches of "Anglicists" and "Russists," and the study of "Lolita" in comparative literature. Contemporary Chinese literary scholars, especially Anglicists, who are addressing the once scandalous Nabokov novel, are increasingly interested in poetics rather than moral issues and character representation. In comparison to the "diverse" research methods and theoretical applications of Chinese Anglicists, the Russists' approach to studying Nabokov's masterpiece is relatively simple, based on intertextual analysis and careful reading. This article discusses: the initial critiques by Chinese scholars, the analysis of character images, the differences in approaches of "Anglicists" and "Russists," and the study of "Lolita" in comparative literature. "Lolita" represents a microcosm of the evolution of Chinese studies of foreign literature. After a long period of translating Western literary works and theories, Chinese researchers began applying them in the analysis and interpretation of Nabokov's novel. The reception of Nabokov's famous novel not only expands the scholarly horizons for researchers but also influences the creativity of modern Chinese writers. The perception of Nabokov's novel has already transitioned into adaptation. "Lolita" constantly finds reinterpretation in literature that addresses psychological trauma. The Nabokov text influences several generations of Chinese writers—from a Chinese migr writer living in the USA to a new generation of writers in Taiwan. This process undergoes a paradigmatic evolution from ideological critique to the study of the literary ontology of the text, developing from imitation to originality. This dynamic clearly confirms the canonical status of "Lolita" as a literary classic.