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challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If Tim Burton wrote something historical, misogynistic and boring, it would be The Picture of Dorian Gray. With a touch of Great Gatsby. I only made it to the end because I was hoping the main characters would come to unfortunate ends. The whole work is pretentious.
There are so many better queer books available. This book does not need to continue to thrive on a pedestal simply because it was progressive for the time.
There are so many better queer books available. This book does not need to continue to thrive on a pedestal simply because it was progressive for the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Suicide
dark
mysterious
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
Wildely misogynistic and antisemetic. Interesting to read though as a queer classic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Antisemitism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Blood
Minor: Drug use, Suicide
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was in kind of a reading slump and thought, "Oscar Wilde can fix me," and I was right. No one was writing prose like him. What the fuck.
Also. Required reading for entering your 30s in the era of filler & facelifts.
Also. Required reading for entering your 30s in the era of filler & facelifts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, Classism
dark
mysterious
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
This was a tough read for me. Classical fiction is not my cup of tea and I was forcing myself to complete the book. Admittedly, I skipped a few monologues about the yellow book and other superficial things .
I do appreciate the class disparity that shows up sometimes. Unfortunately, things have not changed much since the book was released.
I am so happy that I was right about thehomoeroticism .
This book is about the graph ofmorality and hedonism . I think it was beautiful. The message and meaning is relevant centuries later as well. I had difficulty with the language (and had to constantly look up meanings) but I do appreciate the book.
I do appreciate the class disparity that shows up sometimes. Unfortunately, things have not changed much since the book was released.
I am so happy that I was right about the
This book is about the graph of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
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
This wasn’t an easy read. It felt heavy at times, almost uncomfortable, because the message is so raw. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The ending left me speechless, but what really stayed with me was everything underneath, the way Dorian reflects what others see in him, and how that slowly eats away at who he really is. It made me realize we all kind of do that, especially when we’re young. We let people’s opinions shape us, sometimes without even noticing. If it hadn’t been Harry, it would’ve been Basil. Dorian was doomed the moment he let others define him and that hit me.
This book didn’t teach me something new exactly… it just confirmed things I already felt deep down but we are not ready to accept out loud. And that’s why it hit so hard.
It’s not a comforting story but, it’s one that leaves something very real behind.
We are the fragments of people we meet, and our actions are a reflection of that, something that stays with our soul forever.
We are the fragments of people we meet, and our actions are a reflection of that, something that stays with our soul forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Suicide
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was the first of oscar wilde’s work that i have ever read and i was not disappointed! even though i did get a little bored towards the middle/later half of the book, wildes writing never failed to impress me. i found it so beautifully tragic that basil, the relationship he had with dorian, and of course, his painting of dorian, was a measurement for his descent into corruption. i found it just as terribly frustrating how with each conversation between henry and dorian, he so easily succumbed to his influence until it was to late to repair the damage to his soul. wildes commentary on the nuances of aestheticism was a highlight of the book and i thought the quote “It had taught him to love his own beauty. Would it teach him to loathe his own soul?” was a really interesting question that would get readers thinking.
here were some of my favorite quotes from the book (there is a lot):
“I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.”
“A rose shook in her blood, and shadowed her cheeks. Quick breath parted the petals of her lips. They trembled. Some southern wind of passion swept over her, and stirred the dainty folds of her dress. "I love him," she said, simply.”
“What the worm was to the corpse, his sins would be to the painted image on the canvas.”
“I worshiped you too much. I am punished for it. You worshiped yourself too much. We are both punished."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Murder
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Suicide, Blood
Minor: Misogyny, Stalking
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I mean the book is for sure frooty y’all can’t tell me Henry and Basil don’t have MAJOR crushes on Dorian like-
Dorian why do you have to be such a self-absorbed bastard? Your little murder freak out was wild…my man Basil Hallward didn’t deserve that. Henry really ruined you huh…you had potential to be normal 💔 But then again the commentary on how being too self-absorbed in looks and materialism is extremely self-destructive and can be seen as a form of self-sabotage is lovely. Oh and poor gurl Sibyl, it was for sure your fault Dorian…feel bad.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide