Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

321 reviews

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Knowing about Oscar Wilde's past is crucial to reading this novel. It's not just that his gayness was an open secret, but that his targets weren't just men, but also boys. As in actual teenage children. Wilde was also openly Antisemitic and misogynistic in his real life and throughout the novel. What his three main characters do, say, think, and feel very closely mirrors Wilde's own. Much like the titular Dorian, it is clear that Wilde suffered from an inflated ego, was bloated with pride, and had a conscience that weighed him down...but not enough to change, grow, or do better. Trigger warnings abound throughout this novel as we watch Dorian explore the world of vice and sin, leaving a body count in his wake.

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yellowbinge's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


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ashmash's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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evaeyre's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

super well written, and very poetic! in a way, it was a very good commentary on humanity and such qualities as vanity and hubris!

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kattila's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-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

3.25


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marionhoney's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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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libra_sun's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I went into this book with zero knowledge of the plot, and I think it was the right choice. I couldn't put it down, I wanted to know what was happening and I love the way the mystery unfolded. It was an amazing reflective piece on society's obsession with beauty, and it is still wholly relevant, especially with the rise of social media. The idea that being beautiful means you are good. 
My one critique is that there is a bit of rambling in some passages, but it's kind of par for the course in these types of books. 
Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend. 

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diaday333's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

All I have to really say about this book is that the writing is beautiful. Everything description is absolutely lovely and the book is so quotable. “She was usually in love with somebody, and, as her passion was never returned…” It definitely deserves its spot as a classic. And honestly, I feel like it is a must read for everyone. We never actually learn about Dorian’s life and the things he does and what makes his soul so stained, but I think that’s actually a good thing. You can only image. After all, we only learn through rumors, all which Dorian does not confirm or deny. Also I was add chapter 11 was something else— and what I mean by that is that it was just straight yap 😭 overall, I will be thinking of this books writing style and quoting it until the day I die. 

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gvstyris's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray derives its power from being both timeless and a time capsule: simultaneously a window into the superficiality of Victorian aristocracy and an eerily relevant tale of our society's enduring obsession with youth and beauty. Dorian's moral degradation is subtle and poignant, arguably amplifying following
Sybil's death and as a result of Lord Henry's influence.
  This novel is a series of character studies, with each arc's resolution suitably poetic -- particularly those of Dorian and Basil. I also think it's worth acknowledging that the perspective in this book is deliberately very white, British and male, making it an interesting commentary on masculinity. I would argue that much of the misogyny shown on the page is deliberate and plot-relevant.

This was my first time reading anything by Oscar Wilde, and I was surprised by how overt the queer undertones were. I've similarly found Wilde's commentary on his relationship to his characters to be one of the more interesting takeaways here, with him noting that "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps.” Much to research, anyways -- it's clear that this novel is inseparable from Wilde himself. 

I've knocked off some points for the odd painfully overwritten section (Chapter 11, for example) which hindered my enjoyment throughout. I definitely had to push through at times, but am glad to have finally read this one.

Those who are faithful know only the trivial side of love: it is the faithless who know love's tragedies. 

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countdraculahimself's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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