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dark
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Antisemitism, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m glad I read this because it’s always good to read the classics. That said, I was a bit disappointed because it feels as though it’s been hyped up all my life as this big Thing. Whereas it just felt neutral. It was a book. It did its job. Not bad, but perhaps overhyped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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: Death, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Drug use
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Drug use
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Violence
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
dark
mysterious
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
Really surprised me. Modern for a classic. The ending was so deliciously written. The MC got their just desserts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood