In John Ray’s closing paragraph we have less of a parody of porn-book prefaces and more of a direct imitation, and I have read and wanked to enough of them to be something of an expert. For those who are unread in this genre, such prefaces are assuring readers and would-be censors that the book has socially redeeming value and is hardly mere smut for our masturabatory pleasure. This is really educational! In the case of “Lolita”, of course, this is more than pretense.
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As a case history, “Lolita” will become, no doubt, a classic in psychiatric circles. As a work of art, it transcends its expiatory aspects; and still more important to us than scientific significance and literary worth, is the ethical impact the book should have on the serious reader; for in this poignant personal study there lurks a general lesson; the wayward child, the egotistic mother, the panting maniac - these are not only vivid characters in a unique story: they warn us of dangerous trends; they point out potent evils. “Lolita” should make all of us - parents, social workers, educators - apply ourselves with still greater vigilance and vision to the task of bringing up a better generation in a safer world.
-- "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov
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John Ray dates his note: August 5, 1955. The main narrative, involving Lolita and Humbert, occurs from the late 1940s through the early 1950s, the fresh beginning of the post-World War Two era with America in ascendent triumph and beginning a golden age of sorts, despite Humbert’s soiling of the country and one of its all-American darlings.
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