Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Obraz Doriana Graye

I adore Wilde's witty writing and his ideas about aesthetics, and the main themes of indulgence Vs morality are fascinating. Upon rereading I got a lot more out of it than before. I was, however, taken aback by the quite rampant misogyny (I know the point is to illustrate Lord Henry's terribleness.... but still) and the anti-Semitism (just... why???). The ending is a bit abrupt too. But aside from that, it's really a classic for a reason and in a lot of parts quite delicious to read.

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loomon's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

A must read. Oscar Wilde really outdid himself with this one. Would be 5 stars if they kissed xx

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schanschan's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Love the writing style, but most of the time Wilde over-explains instead of focusing on the plot.

Some things could definitely be written better, but overall a 3/5, still a good read :))

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velociraptor's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

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icarusdickarus's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

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jennat's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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bookaddictellagershon's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

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reverie_and_books's review against another edition

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dark relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oscar Wildes »The Picture of Dorian Gray« caused quite a stir in its uncensored edition in the 1890s: Britain was on a mission of “morale” to expose gay men. Wildes case, some argue, didn’t exactly help, largely because he didn’t back down in time and put others in danger. Wilde had already made a name for himself, so they made an example out of his case. He was sentenced to two years of hard labour. The prosecutors used quotes from this uncensored text, since they were alluding to s*xual inversion (another term of that time).

If you've read the censored novel, you'll notice that this edition is missing some storylines and entire chapters. More importantly, Basils adoration for Dorian is way more tangible:

»I quite admit that I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly. […] There was love in every line, and in every touch there was passion.«

Dorian Gray was one of the firsts English classics I’ve read and it still is a favorite. Reading it a second time, albeit in a different edition, I enjoyed it even more. It’s been sitting on my shelf for quite a while. The newly published historical fiction »The New Life« finally made me pick it up - my review will follow soon.

Also, Nicholas Frankel wrote a thorough and interesting introduction. I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone who enjoyed the better known version or is interested in lgbtq+ history of Britain.

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