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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
i'm not even sure how to describe the experience of reading this book. i normally dislike classics, but this was gripping, and thrilling, and twisted and so disgustingly vile.
i felt for dorian, in the beginning. he was just a young man, led astray by the lure of hedonism. henry was enticing, and cunning, and awful. i could see how his influence warped dorian into becoming the self-absorbed man he became.
but ultimately, it was weakness, left unchecked, that ruined him. many times he wanted to run from henry, to ignore his shallow "advice," to save what was left of his soul. but he didn't.
at the end, i saw a glimmer of hope for him. i thought, perhaps, he could change. but even his hope of self-improvement was selfish. he didn't feel true remorse.
ugh, this book. i feel like i have a million things to say about how it describes perfectly the nature of humanity, but it all sounds pretentious and wanky.
more like dorian GAY, tho, amirite? the homosexuality motifs are barely concealed. the closet is glass.
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Classism
Minor: Drug abuse, Racism, Antisemitism
Graphic: Addiction, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism
Minor: Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Murder
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
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder
Minor: Misogyny
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism
Minor: Drug use, Racism
It's also very interesting reading this book in a modern context. The ideas which were so foreign then make up our whole society, particularly surrounding internet culture. This book serves as a great warning to try and look past the surface, particularly for the modern youth.
On top of all that, every line is an incredible quote, filled with beauty, but more importantly intentionality. Oscar Wilde knew what he was doing, and has a truly created a timeless classic.
Also, what a fantastic ending.
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Murder