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"The sin we had done once, and with loathing, we would do many times, and with joy."
I really liked the censored version without knowing much about it. This was so much better, more complex and more queer.
I really liked the censored version without knowing much about it. This was so much better, more complex and more queer.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So to start, this book was not what modern media had lead me to believe it would be, but that is definitely not a bad thing. In the modern media, the characters are straight or at the straight end of bi/pan, whereas here they're straight, gay, or at the gay end of bi/pan. Had I not gone into this knowing Wilde was gay, I would have been wondering after a couple pages. One of the male characters is madly in love with Dorian and at throughout his character arc, I found myself crying tears of both joy and heartbreak at various points.
One of the few things I didn't find enjoyable about this book, was Chapter 11. I understand the intention behind that particular chapter completely, but for me it seemed to drag on too much and added relatively little to the story that couldn't have been contained in a couple of paragraphs.
Here is a bullet pointed review I posted elsewhere online:
One of the few things I didn't find enjoyable about this book, was Chapter 11. I understand the intention behind that particular chapter completely, but for me it seemed to drag on too much and added relatively little to the story that couldn't have been contained in a couple of paragraphs.
Here is a bullet pointed review I posted elsewhere online:
- Dear God, the gay. I don't even want to count how many gay bits I tabbed.
Basil is an absolute sweetheart and deserved way better. Dorian could have been an amazing person, if he hadn't been corrupted. Harry can suck a d*ck. To paraphrase the Frankenstein Vs. monster thing: Knowledge is knowing Harry isn't the villain, wisdom is knowing Harry is the villain. Alan reminded me of Dr Jekyll in a lot of ways, which I liked but I don't know if this was intentional or just my brain. - Chapter 11 dragged so much, and only really added
"Dorian spent 18 years collecting hobbies, some of which will be briefly mentioned later." Probably going to skip it next read. - And yes, I will be re-reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
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
Moderate: Body horror, Violence
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Misogyny, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism
the story is strange and beautiful, but the main characters are all extremely flawed. there are also some aspects of misogyny and antisemitism that are unrelated to the plot, so i do warn you to be aware of the authors prejudices so you can critically read the story.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-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: Body horror
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
A queer classic
I can't remember a book that has surprised me so much with all its twists and turns. Elements of the super natural also appear.
This is my first time reading Wilde and it won't be last. There are so many famous quotes in this novel alone.
There are some racial slurs which are of their time. The internalised hemophobia drips off most pages but that is why it is such an important book to read now.
I can't remember a book that has surprised me so much with all its twists and turns. Elements of the super natural also appear.
This is my first time reading Wilde and it won't be last. There are so many famous quotes in this novel alone.
There are some racial slurs which are of their time. The internalised hemophobia drips off most pages but that is why it is such an important book to read now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Body horror, Suicide, Blood
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Antisemitism
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Glad I finally read this one! On the whole really enjoyed it. Lovely prose. Could have really done without the abhorrent antisemitism though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Antisemitism
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
Dark, bewitching, and so very gay.
‘Why is your friendship so fateful to young men?’
In The Picture of Dorian Gray; Oscar Wilde crafts a narrative of Queer love, desire, vanity, and fear, embodied in a twink who wishes to remain young and beautiful forever. Wilde’s only novel is one that is both frighteningly fantastical, but also harrowingly personal. In Dorian we see the picture of the dark version of ourselves; the Hyde to our Jekyll, and it is his ability to transform with each reader that makes The Picture of Dorian Gray so enduring as a staple of Queer Literature, and one of the bestselling titles in Penguin’s Classics series.
Wilde’s writing and descriptions are breathtakingly beautiful, so much so that I would find myself rereading the same sentences over and over again. Wilde’s genius and intellect is also evident in the text, and his use of Queercoding through historical and art references is very clever.
Our main cast of characters are so very gay, and it’s crazy because it’s almost like Wilde met my gay friends and acquaintances and wrote a book about us (I like to think that I am Basil). But I also see each character as a different side to the Queer experience; Basil being the Queer artist who represents the beauty and tenderness of love between men, Lord Henry as the witty sass Queen that gay men are often viewed as from the outside, and Dorian represents Queer fears and anxieties that most of us have experienced some point in our life. The result is one of the most ingenious Queer horror stories ever written.
Our main cast of characters are so very gay, and it’s crazy because it’s almost like Wilde met my gay friends and acquaintances and wrote a book about us (I like to think that I am Basil). But I also see each character as a different side to the Queer experience; Basil being the Queer artist who represents the beauty and tenderness of love between men, Lord Henry as the witty sass Queen that gay men are often viewed as from the outside, and Dorian represents Queer fears and anxieties that most of us have experienced some point in our life. The result is one of the most ingenious Queer horror stories ever written.
The Picture of Dorian Gray should be a (not-so) straight five-stars, however it does contain some racism and anti-semitism that I can’t ignore. It is a book of it’s time, but I’m also aware of writers and people from Wilde’s time who tried their best at not being racist. I think it’s important to appreciate this novel for everything good about it, but also to recognise it’s faults rather than excuse them, so that we as the readers can grow as people.
‘Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray. What Dorian Gray’s sins are no one knows. He who finds them has brought them.’
-Oscar Wilde
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism
This novel is VERY dark as it covers a lot of internalised homophobia and fear of your own Queerness.
dark
reflective
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: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, Toxic friendship
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Alcohol