Vladimir Nabokov, a Russian-American novelist and lepidopterist (butterfly expert), wrote 'Lolita' (1955), one of the most controversial and celebrated novels of the 20th century. Written in English, Nabokov’s second language, the novel is famous for its shimmering, lyrical prose and its disturbing subject matter: a middle-aged man's obsession with a young girl. Nabokov used the character Humbert Humbert as an 'unreliable narrator,' forcing the reader to navigate a web of linguistic tricks and moral ambiguity. The book was rejected by four American publishers before being released by an avant-garde press in Paris. Beyond literature, Nabokov was a serious scientist who discovered several species of butterflies; modern DNA testing has since proven his theories about butterfly evolution to be remarkably accurate. His ability to blend scientific precision with literary artifice makes his work unique in world literature.