r/Nabokov

Sorry if this doesn’t have place here - please redirect if so (sorry for vague title)

I am writing about Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’, and trying to identify the theory I’m trying to observe it from.

What I’m trying to say is that ‘Lolita’ doesn’t exist outside of Humbert’s worldview. Dolores does, but I am separating these to make a point of the character he’s built up. The fact that he is writing under observation, he is writing a testimony, his past and whatnot are what create ‘Lolita’.
I want to illustrate that he is weak and demonstrates feminine traits - how he’s built up a ‘nymphet Lolita’ so that his pursuit of her is viewed as masculine.
He is the prism that illuminates her character of ‘Lolita’ and outside of that, she isn’t the object of his desire.

I know male gaze might be the obvious one, but because I’m focusing on him moreso I didn’t know if it applied.

Thankyou if anyone responds, I’m really stuck.

I love Nabokov, particularly Lolita and Pale Fire, but I have yet to venture into his short fiction. I have the collected stories, but it's a bit daunting to begin (I prefer shorter collections); I tend to read collections of short stories over collected works.

If you had to choose his 5 best stories to begin with, what would they be?

I'm new to Nabokov and I'm here because I am interested in language that is remarkably well written. I somehow get joy out of reading something that is beautifully phrased. The vocabulary, the rhythm, the grammar, the punctuation, it's all taken care of with meticulous precision and care.

In my quest for such books Nabokov is always one of the top recommendations and the book recommended is always Lolita. But despite my interests in stylistic excellence, I do care about the content as well. Lolita? I haven't read it, but it's supposed to be about the love of an older man for a young, probably underaged girl. It doesn't shock me, but it also doesn't really interest me either.

Apart from style, what would be interesting about Nabokov to read him? For example, I read Dostoevsky's C&P and I enjoyed the characters, the dialogues and the personal struggles.

Which Nabokov book would you recommend and why?

i've never read any of nabokov's novels before and i've heard that invitation to a beheading is very surreal and dreamlike? I'm not really sure to what to except while reading and is it a difficult read? What should I keep in mind while reading to make sure I understand his ideas?