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dark
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
Honestly this FUCKED. I’m excited to listen to some other people’s perspectives on it because I definitely might have missed some of the main points because I had a slightly harder time following the dialogue. But regardless, my jaw was on the FLOOR on multiple occasions.
When he KILLS BASIL????? Nothing could have prepared me for that. All his “sins” up to that point are very vague and left up to the imagination but then it’s like BAM HES EVIL EVIL. that was awesome.
Idk if I was pulling any deep meanings or anything, or even if Oscar Wilde was trying super hard to get a message across, but either way it’s still so fun and worth a read. If I were to try and dig deeper I’m sure I could gather something, but my baseline thoughts are just that it’s interesting to think of the boldness he develops because he shows no signs of the horrible things he’s done. His desire to do good is completely eradicated by his desire for pleasure and the fact that he doesn’t have to deal with the consequences completely.
Lord Henry is kind of cunt. Good for him. Yes queen BE evil.
Idk if I was pulling any deep meanings or anything, or even if Oscar Wilde was trying super hard to get a message across, but either way it’s still so fun and worth a read. If I were to try and dig deeper I’m sure I could gather something, but my baseline thoughts are just that it’s interesting to think of the boldness he develops because he shows no signs of the horrible things he’s done. His desire to do good is completely eradicated by his desire for pleasure and the fact that he doesn’t have to deal with the consequences completely.
Lord Henry is kind of cunt. Good for him. Yes queen BE evil.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely wild (pun intended?). I had never read the story prior but I knew of it through cultural osmosis and the legend appearing in other media. The origin of Dorian Gray is rather hilarious. The homoeroticism, the scorn for hetero love and women in general, and the appreciation for art, beauty, sin, life... There were so many lines that struck me viscerally.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
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
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
dark
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism
dark
reflective
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
I remember enjoying this more when I first read it years ago - perhaps it works better on the page than in audiobook form. Certainly didn't care much for the narrator, who was serviceable but a little dull, but unfortunately this was the only version available from my library. I suppose it's either Wilde's style or the style of the times, but there were sections where the plot and characters are dropped temporarily in favour of a long essay on the themes of the book, which makes for a strange sort of novel. Don't get me started on the strange Jewish manager character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Murder
Minor: Drug use, Violence
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Literally the blueprint. Wish there was more hot, gay sex, but he got away with what he could.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Suicide
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
My opinion shifted as I read, but overall, I thought this was fantastic. It had stunning prose, a powerful message, and an incredible ending that made up for the slow chapters I didn't connect with. I see this becoming a favourite of mine. Some comments in the book were unpleasant, but as with any classic, l view it as a product of its time while still being critical. What struck me was Basil feeling like he put part of himself into his art. If art reflects its artist's soul, The Picture of Dorian Gray reflects Oscar Wilde's. I felt like I could sense his spirit within it. I felt his love & heartache, desires & fears, virtues & faults. It's more than fiction; it's a glimpse of his time, worldview, and emotions. The characters felt real because they contained a piece of Wilde. Their internal struggles were real because they reflected Wilde's own. It takes bravery to bear a piece of your soul to the world. He was a true artist.
There's a line between self-love and narcissism; Dorian Gray crossed it. He was more than his youth or beauty, but he couldn't see that. Obsession with beauty corrupted his soul. He was in love with his youthful appearance, leaving him unable to love another because he only cared for the superficial. Sybil loved Dorian. Basil loved Dorian. Dorian loved only himself, so he destroyed those foolish enough to love him. He destroyed lives because he lacked virtue & decency. He swayed others onto a path of vice just as Henry did to him. This book is a warning about untamed vanity, selfishness, and valuing pleasure above all else. The messages are even more relevant in the internet age.
Dorian kept his youthful, innocent appearance, even as his soul rotted. I had both loathing and enjoyment for his character. I wanted to see him change, be better, and find peace. Dorian Gray was selfish, hedonistic, and cruel... yet I felt bad for him. In the beginning, he was just a boy. His worldview was still evolving when it was tainted. Throughout, I found myself feeling deeply sad about his corruption. Was it Henry's influence that ultimately corrupted Dorian? Could the beauty of his soul have been saved, even by someone like Basil? Was he always doomed to realize that youth and beauty fade, and to lose himself to this? I felt like Dorian had an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, with each of his friends swaying him in different directions. Ultimately, negative influence won, but it could've gone the other way. It was heartbreaking.
The idea of the painting showing not only age but also moral corruption of his soul was pure genius from Wilde. The ending left me stunned. Dorian realizing the depth of his corruption made my heart ache. Not even his insistence that he could be "good" was enough to save him. His fate, perhaps, was sealed from the beginning; it was tragic, but inevitable.
The idea of the painting showing not only age but also moral corruption of his soul was pure genius from Wilde. The ending left me stunned. Dorian realizing the depth of his corruption made my heart ache. Not even his insistence that he could be "good" was enough to save him. His fate, perhaps, was sealed from the beginning; it was tragic, but inevitable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism
Minor: Drug use, Racism, Grief, Alcohol
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Outing
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
"Life is not governed by will or intention. Life is a question of nerves, and fibres, and slowly built up cells on which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams."
Quotes like that help me to understand why this story is considered a classic and why some people love this book. I was so excited to read this based on what I have heard on the concept and how fascinating it was for Wilde to write this type of story, especially in 1890. Despite this, I honestly did not have a good time reading this book. I may have had a lot more praise for it and may have worked better for me as a short story? It wasn’t because the language was flowery, more so that the main characters were so insufferable and it felt like nothing really happened until near the end. This book was only 200 some pages but FELT more than double that to SLOGGGG through, and this was with a tandem physical and audio read.
I give Wilde respect for this type of story in that time period (though it is heavy on the antisemitism and misogyny), but this was just not my jam nor my cup of tea.
Quotes like that help me to understand why this story is considered a classic and why some people love this book. I was so excited to read this based on what I have heard on the concept and how fascinating it was for Wilde to write this type of story, especially in 1890. Despite this, I honestly did not have a good time reading this book. I may have had a lot more praise for it and may have worked better for me as a short story? It wasn’t because the language was flowery, more so that the main characters were so insufferable and it felt like nothing really happened until near the end. This book was only 200 some pages but FELT more than double that to SLOGGGG through, and this was with a tandem physical and audio read.
I give Wilde respect for this type of story in that time period (though it is heavy on the antisemitism and misogyny), but this was just not my jam nor my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Classism