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dark
mysterious
tense
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
Ymmärrän miks tää on klassikko, mut mun kohdalla ei lähteny sitte yhtään... 😶 En sietäny hahmoja, dialogia enkä kirjoitustyyliä ylipäätään, mut taustalla olevat ideat oli mielenkiintoisia ja Oscar Wilde henkilönä kans!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Antisemitism
dark
funny
mysterious
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
This book could ruin lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Suicide, Antisemitism
mysterious
tense
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
Minor: Death, Antisemitism, Murder
challenging
dark
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A product of its time, but still one of the best Gothic stories ever told. This version of it is the best. Succinct, debauched, and full of passion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism
challenging
dark
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood
Minor: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Classism
dark
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
Some parts of this were really compelling and some parts were just lists of jewels and things (including racist depictions of people from other countries). Also has some very striking anti-Semitism and misogyny. Harry is the classic "edgy contrarian at a party" and Basil is strangely religious (as a book, it's surprisingly Catholic). Looking forward to seeing the Broadway adaptation with Sarah Snook!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Murder
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Antisemitism
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
I think it’s almost impossible to replicate the mirror that Oscar Wilde seems to hold up to himself with this novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
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
Reading this book is like looking at a Jackson Pollock. You can't tell if you enjoy it but it absolutely grasps you, and you find yourself not being able to look away. Oscar Wilde is a master of prose and dialogue, which makes reading it even a hundred years later an artistic journey that cradles you in words and descriptions and phrases.
And Dorian Gray is basically the most unlikeable protagonist you could imagine. Starting by being vain and naive to being vain and corrupt, blaming everyone but himself for the way he is acting (even if Lord Henry absolutely plays a role in his corruption.) The few pieces of this story that I did not like were the pacing, namely that we jumped ahead in time by decades to see just how far Dorian has fallen, and the way that each and every woman in the book (and the descriptions of women) led to a belief that all women were frivolous and shallow, which could certainly be a sign of the times (the casual anti-Semitism too gave the ick.)
Did these things detract from this literary masterpiece enough for anyone to skip? Absolutely not. I clung onto every moment I was immersed in this world, and will be looking back at Wilde's beautiful prose and his way of creating an unlikeable character so deep that you have to tip your hat to the master.
I also think it's worth pointing out that this book is public domain, and thus freely available through Project Gutenberg!
And Dorian Gray is basically the most unlikeable protagonist you could imagine. Starting by being vain and naive to being vain and corrupt, blaming everyone but himself for the way he is acting (even if Lord Henry absolutely plays a role in his corruption.) The few pieces of this story that I did not like were the pacing, namely that we jumped ahead in time by decades to see just how far Dorian has fallen, and the way that each and every woman in the book (and the descriptions of women) led to a belief that all women were frivolous and shallow, which could certainly be a sign of the times (the casual anti-Semitism too gave the ick.)
Did these things detract from this literary masterpiece enough for anyone to skip? Absolutely not. I clung onto every moment I was immersed in this world, and will be looking back at Wilde's beautiful prose and his way of creating an unlikeable character so deep that you have to tip your hat to the master.
I also think it's worth pointing out that this book is public domain, and thus freely available through Project Gutenberg!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Antisemitism, Murder
Moderate: Sexism