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colin_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
Setting:
The Picture of Doian Gray is set in a fictional Victorian English city. I found the city itself to be full of life and a bit of a character on it's own, full of sin wherever the reader went.
Plot:
Our story follows a young Dorian Gray as he get's his portrait painted by Basil Hallward. The name sake of the book comes out amazingly, Basil's best work. Soon enough Dorian wishes the painting would grow old and he would stay young. However one should be careful what they wish for as Dorian is soon to find out.
Writing:
Oscar Wilde's writing is tough to handle at times. I will admit a large part of that is when it was written and the changes in language since then. Previous to this attempt I had tried to read this book 4 different times and the first part was tough to get through, around the half way point I found myself used to this writing style and didn't mind it nearly as much.
Characters:
There isn't a wide array of cast in this novel, and I found myself sort of hating each character in their own way and for their own reason. I feel this actually does this novel well as it has a message and it is best deliveried due to this dislike of each character.
Pros:
A solid story with a message
Excellent character study
Cons:
Writing is tough to start
Ending feels quite rushed
Recommendation:
This novel likely needs no introduction. It is a Gothic classic in every sense and deserves a read. That took me 4 attempts so my biggest recommendation is don't force it. Try reading the book and if you can't break through take a break, put it down. Then after some time try again. I promise it's worth a read and wasn't what I expected exactly even knowing the premise ahead of time.
Moderate: Murder and Suicide
Minor: Drug use
starryknightace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
1.5
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, and Drug use
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexism, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Antisemitism
valreadsallnight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, and Suicide
Minor: Antisemitism
The instance of antisemitism happened only early in the novel, but it is really, really viscerally pungent. So prepare yourself,alyssapusateri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Drug use, Classism, Drug abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Infidelity and Antisemitism
theliteraryteapot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
On the other hand, I loved the prose (I read a 1958 French translation).
Graphic: Murder, Death, Antisemitism, Blood, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Drug use
carla20's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Suicide, Blood, Death, and Drug use
hocuscrocus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, and Drug use
Moderate: Antisemitism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Racism
sagelikesscats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Murder, Mental illness, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content, Classism, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Suicide
The classism is less of a thing that happens and more of a general presence throughout the book.kananineko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Stalking, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, and Death of parent
thequeercaseofmarius's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
‘Why is your friendship so fateful to young men?’
Our main cast of characters are so very gay, and it’s crazy because it’s almost like Wilde met my gay friends and acquaintances and wrote a book about us (I like to think that I am Basil). But I also see each character as a different side to the Queer experience; Basil being the Queer artist who represents the beauty and tenderness of love between men, Lord Henry as the witty sass Queen that gay men are often viewed as from the outside, and Dorian represents Queer fears and anxieties that most of us have experienced some point in our life. The result is one of the most ingenious Queer horror stories ever written.
‘Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray. What Dorian Gray’s sins are no one knows. He who finds them has brought them.’
-Oscar Wilde
Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Body horror, Drug use, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, and Death
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicide, Antisemitism, Classism, and Racism
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
This novel is VERY dark as it covers a lot of internalised homophobia and fear of your own Queerness.