Reviews with content warning for Drug use - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

260 reviews

athenian_frog's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved the atmosphere as well as the SEVERAL footnotes clarifying all the LGBT references Oscar Wilde made for his time. The ones describing what publishers wanted to change were also hilarious, 90% of it was because Wilde was letting his characters act too gay lmao.

The book kinda lost me around the 70% mark, but I came back around to finish it. I think the page-long moments of people speaking were starting to get to me. Reminded me of Plato’s essays where Socrates will talk for a really long time, and I needed a bit of a break during that RIP.

I definitely recommend reading this, though. There are a lot of interesting things to be said about morality, the value of beauty, and how both can influence our perception (like the halo effect).

Content Warnings

eyesofcrows's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional 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

It’s a truly extraordinary story of vanity and philosophy. Also it’s a lil gay.

I loved the ways each character contrasted and the prose was beautiful. Basil’s adoration for Dorian in the beginning of the novel is quite romantic. I will say, about Lord Henry,

he’s the most pretentious, wannabe profound man who’s thinking is solely to mock others and live as frivolously as he wants: it’s in his constant quoting and “debating” that he makes statements so complicated that it becomes hard to argue against. He shuts others down, basically. No wonder no one can stand him. That man is toxin at its most potent.

The slow but sure corruption of Dorian Gray combined with the changing world around him was something to behold. And the way they describe the picture, Dorian’s inner monologue, and just all the analogies they pull out was so detailed. Sure, they make many mentions of stories and characters I know nothing about but the context is provided. If Dorian was talking about romance, I’m going to assume whatever random Greek name he mentions has something to do with that.

Sometimes a dialogue can go on for too long and loop into itself or an internal monologue seems longwinded, but I enjoyed it for the most part. Beauty is skin deep and Dorian’s youth really was a mask on top of the hedonist he became. At one point, yes, he was all that Basil’s painting displayed, but he’d corrupted it thoroughly that even Basil couldn’t recognize his soul. Though, we have to admit, Dorian had the makings of it with his vainness. Influence, and the horrible things it can accomplish.

Content Warnings

lucyatoz's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious 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

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is about a rich young man, who sits for an artist who paints his portrait. However, there is a curse attached to the painting and the sitter as the painting will age and the man will not!

This results in Dorian's life ultimately spinning out of control, leading to a suicide of a young woman, who is an actress, and the murder of the one man who could be called his only true friend.

The story sometimes felt like it was stuck in a loop, and although is wonderfully written and deserves it place as a classic in literature, it was a struggle for me to read with some chapters feeling out of place whilst others were deeply engaging and moved the narrative forward.

I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on CloudLibrary. I read this for the 52 Book Club Summer Reading Challenge 2024, for prompt 23, Closing Ceremonies, author who hasn't released a book in the past four years.

Content Warnings

scrb_oodle's review against another edition

3.75

dark mysterious reflective 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

kreglow's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

One of those books where I understand why it's a classic, but it just doesn't resonate with me. Mainly, the story would have been engaging if there was more focus on the plot rather than meandering and focusing on Wilde's philosophies. Honestly, this would have worked better as a stage play, something akin to Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest.

Content Warnings

lenorayoder's review against another edition

3.0

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The plot and characters in this book are both really interesting. Dorian’s internal monologue and Henry’s creeping influence are both well done. Unfortunately, Wilde frequently goes on long tangents, often philosophical or referential in nature, that are a real chore to get through and don’t really feel like a part of the story. You don’t have to make your readers suffer to show that a character is insufferable.

If you are planning to read this book I recommend this edition, the notes were informative and provided details about what was censored or changed between the early versions of the novel. It felt worth it to read this once, but I suspect I would like a good adaptation better and will seek one out.

Content Warnings

broccoli_mmm's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow wow wow.

Sometimes a piece of art just finds you at exactly the right time in your life. I had no idea what to expect going into this besides the queer subtext but wowww.

The idea of life itself as a form of art is brilliant and beautiful. Dorian’s complete misapplication of that principle is both fascinating and horrifying. Lord Henry is both clever and right and wicked and wrong. There is no room for absolute truth here.

The dialogue is insanely good, the only books ive read that come close are Austen’s. Every Basil and Dorian scene had me floored. sweet Basil </3

I want to read lines from this over and over and over again.

-0.25 because of the chapter listing every gemstone, tapestry, and instrument Dorian owned lol

Content Warnings

clovetra's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious 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

i find my feelings very hard to put into words. i cant describe how this book made me feel. it is topsy-turvy, it changes its pace midway through, and is constantly adapting itself.
i do think the online "hype" about this book makes this book overrated - but it still is a good book! i do feel as though this is one of those books when just reading it in isolation renders it a 3-star read, but with the introduction & biography following wilde, as well as context for the time in which it was written, the story opens itself up.
i found the plot to lowkey be all over the place? i mean up until sibyl is

murdered

i was enjoying this, and understood the hype. but following that plot point, this book does a complete 180, and i didn't know what to expect. the entire tone shifts almost instantaneously that night in the theatre, and i think its a neat comparison for

dorian's descent into madness from the painting to begin in a theatre - art destroying art in a sense

. but yet again, without deeper analysis & trying to read this book just as it is à la 'death of the author', this book would not be as good, and honestly that's why it isnt a 5-star. that and the writing gave me a headache many of times because i had no clue what i had just read because 75 words no longer used in the english language were present in a sentence that was 7 lines long. i get that's how classics are written but doesn't mean i have to like it!!
anyways, what else do i have to say? honestly i fail to truly grasp this book as well, i think because a lot of wilde's obvious intentions were masqueraded in subtext, and i am not good at subtext!! at all!! i am not a very smart reader (unless im actively trying to solve a mystery novel. then i become mf sherlock holmes).
i enjoyed basil & dorian's characterisations, but henry's seemed to go over my head. i think im gonna have to read a deep analysis of his character because i seriously don't get how it is insinuated

henry sends dorian down his corrupt path

. yet again that could be because i missed the subtext or actually had no idea what i was reading due to the language used. sue me.
i reallllyyy enjoyed the ending. the book lowkey kinda floundered in the middle, but picked up again at full steam at around chapter 12.
also no shade but chapter 11 isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. if im honest its probably the most important chapter of the book!!!
anyways booktwt dont sue me for not liking it, sue my brain for being a dumb ass bitch.

edit 30/7/24: nvm im bumping it a star up cuz im up thinking about the ending

Content Warnings