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Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship
Graphic: Death, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism
Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Outing, Classism
I found it an interesting book to use as a touchstone when thinking about the rise of anti-intellectualism in today's modern culture. Lord Henry is someone who is not an intellectual, constantly and openly refusing to engage with anything around him on a true level, but is harrolded by many as a great philosopher, even being a main linchpin in the corruption of Dorian at the beginning. Throughout the narrative, Dorian parrots things Lord Henry has espoused, and continues to encourage a culture of beauty over intelligence or careful thought. Lord Henry is able to avoid consequence by simply not acting on any of the things he says, but Dorian, who says those things as if he does not care, seems incapable of not acting. He is actively seeking the pleasure that Lord Henry insists is there, not noticing when Henry is not doing the same.
This idea that beauty is something that is earned by being good and that death is the deserved ending of those who act immorally is something that I will probably take longer to think about. I would probably identify it as the key theme of the novel, which brings up lots of questions. Why is Oscar Wilde so interested in beauty as a concept? Why does he feel inclined to write about it in this way? The idea that death is the natural end of those who are improper is not a new one, especially in the writing of Wilde's cohorts, but this fascination with beauty as emblematic of character, while a common conception at the time, is something that seems unusual.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug use, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism
Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Antisemitism
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Racism, Stalking
Minor: Addiction, Classism
Chapter eleven was a snoozefest to get through, though afterwards I enjoyed the rest of the book a lot better than the part before it.
I understood this book, I understood its message, but my god will you ever finish a sentence, Mr Wilde? I would start reading a sentence then forget what I even read by the end of it.
It's a 4.5 for me. If chapter 12 and onwards didn't exist, it would've been lower.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Blood, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder