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dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
I knew of Oscar Wilde, of course, but this was my first time actually reading his work. I found it difficult not to use the book as a means of analysing its writer. He was known for his wit but was he genuinely clever or just good at appearing clever? Maybe there’s no distinction. Maybe it’s foolish of me to try to judge the character of a man by the work he creates. Wilde himself rebuked the idea that art should be taken as autobiography, that works of fiction reveal something about the writer. Then again, he also wrote in a letter “[The Picture of Dorian Gray] contains much of me in it — Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry, what the world thinks of me; Dorian is what I would like to be — in other ages, perhaps.” It’s hard not to read the story as a reflection of its author to some extent.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is so much gayer than I expected. Like, it’s difficult to even describe it as subtext. It’s right there, unmistakable despite careful censorship, from chapter one onwards. I have to admit, this kind of pining, withholding, and hinting at queerness appeals to me far more than the uncomplicated “representation” we tend to see nowadays. I acknowledge literature like this comes from a society in which homosexuality was criminalised and deeply stigmatised – the ambiguity I adore wasn’t just a stylistic choice, it was a necessity – but it resonates with me in a way modern queer media just doesn’t.
The story is dominated by the theme of influence (and its inverse, impressionability). It’s handled well for the most part but I don’t really understand the significance of the book Lord Henry recommends to Dorian. I know that some scholars identify it as an ode to either The Yellow Book or Huysmans’s Against Nature, and that the idea of a “poisonous book” was accentuated in later editions in response to the controversy surrounding this very novel upon its publication. In other words, I know that Wilde was playing with the idea of an immoral piece of literature corrupting (read: queering) young minds. That said, Dorian is already affected by the picture painted by Basil Hallward and the mirror given to him by Lord Henry, not to mention Lord Henry’s words; the addition of the corrupting book seemed to overcomplicate what was otherwise quite an elegant concept.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is good. I wasn’t blown away by it, but the premise is solid and I was pleasantly surprised by how audaciously queer it is. I can see why it’s considered a classic. Definitely worth a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
"He grew more and more enamoured of his own beauty, more and nore interested in the corruption of his own soul"
"wondering sometimes which were the more horrible, the signs of sin or the singns of age"
"wondering sometimes which were the more horrible, the signs of sin or the singns of age"
- relectura 2023
Y en realidad, todo el libro le parecía contener la historia de su propia vida, escrita antes de que hubiera vivido.
Después de varios años en que no leí a dorian, finalmente me di el tiempo y hoy shit, es mucho mejor de lo que recordaba jajaja, por eso sigue siendo el clásico superior y el dark acedemia og.
La manera en la que WIlde se burlaba de las clases superior es uff chef kiss, la verdad es que tengo mucho pero poco que decir, cuando se trata de mis libros favs mi mente siempre me dice mm no se como expresarlo, solo que quede como registro que me gusta mucho más que las veces anteriores que lo lei, y pude notar cosas que había pasado por alto (todas las referencias hoosexuales de Brasil hacia Dorian).
La manera en la que WIlde se burlaba de las clases superior es uff chef kiss, la verdad es que tengo mucho pero poco que decir, cuando se trata de mis libros favs mi mente siempre me dice mm no se como expresarlo, solo que quede como registro que me gusta mucho más que las veces anteriores que lo lei, y pude notar cosas que había pasado por alto (todas las referencias hoosexuales de Brasil hacia Dorian).
En sus tratos con el hombre, el Destino nunca cancelaba sus cuentas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Antisemitism, Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Blood, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship