The work had been turned down by six publishing houses, before it was finally printed, anticipating how it would be received by the public. In 1955, Nabokov finally signed a contract with Olympia Press in Paris. By the Sunday Express editor it was called "the filthiest book I have ever read" and "sheer unrestrained pornography"; the Home Office in Great Britain instructed British Customs to seize all copies entering the country, and in 1956 the book was banned in France. The various translations of the work into other languages caused a number of other scandals, but in spite of American officials being anxious about the appearance of the first American edition, this was issued without problems (in 1958) and became an instant bestseller. In fact, it sold more than 100.000 copies within the first three weeks (being the first book after "Gone With the Wind" to do so).

Today, the book is considered a classic of modern literature and one of the finest novels of the 20th century.