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challenging
dark
tense
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
A grotesque characterization that highlights the corruption of a man’s character and vanity, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story of how a beautiful young man falls from grace after sitting for his painter friend.
This book is more of a collection of philosophical musings (mostly coming from the character of Lord Harry) with a backdrop of a plot. All the charm (and there is lots of it) comes from the witty lines and anecdotes brought up by the various characters. The long dialogues and back-and-forth exchanges were just as compelling as the action, thanks to the characters’ strong voices. This is not to say that the plot itself was not interesting; it had much higher stakes than I expected, and it kept developing in ways that subverted expectations. The progression of Dorian Gray, the character, is deviously subtle and incredible to see escalate.
A product of its time, there are some shocking sentiments about women and other minorities found within the book. The description of the Jewish characters in the story is incredibly outdated, and the inclusion of female characters often felt caricatured and overly exaggerated.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is picturesque, gritty, and twisted, yet still remarkably light-hearted at times. It was the perfect amount of reflective and entertaining, and one of the best classics I’ve read to date.
This book is more of a collection of philosophical musings (mostly coming from the character of Lord Harry) with a backdrop of a plot. All the charm (and there is lots of it) comes from the witty lines and anecdotes brought up by the various characters. The long dialogues and back-and-forth exchanges were just as compelling as the action, thanks to the characters’ strong voices. This is not to say that the plot itself was not interesting; it had much higher stakes than I expected, and it kept developing in ways that subverted expectations. The progression of Dorian Gray, the character, is deviously subtle and incredible to see escalate.
A product of its time, there are some shocking sentiments about women and other minorities found within the book. The description of the Jewish characters in the story is incredibly outdated, and the inclusion of female characters often felt caricatured and overly exaggerated.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is picturesque, gritty, and twisted, yet still remarkably light-hearted at times. It was the perfect amount of reflective and entertaining, and one of the best classics I’ve read to date.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Antisemitism
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
i’ll start by saying that i 100% understand why people are obsessed with this book. there’s something about it that is endlessly quotable and the fact that this book ended up being used against wilde in his trials adds this ominous mystique to it as well.
my overall review is: it wasn’t what i was expecting it to be at all.
i think maybe i would have loved it more had i read it earlier but there’s a language barrier and cultural sensitivity barrier that i think ruined the reading experience for me. this book wasn’t written for a queer black woman in the 21st century to read and it shows.
i do absolutely find the book fascinating and i’m glad to have read it. wilde’s characters felt so real and cemented in their identities here and i could almost see them in front of me. i knew some aspects of the story but i don’t think this is a story you can spoil because the true plot is in minute details - the underlying eroticism in basil’s infatuation with dorian, henry being a catalyst to dorian’s terrible character development even though it all sounded like a joke and then dorian himself starting off gentle and unspoiled and ending with killing himself out of vanity.
i find it fascinating just how many ‘rules for life’ henry could throw out to the world all for the plot and how he never expected anyone to actually take it seriously. i also found being in dorian’s head fascinating in a morbid sort of way, the way he could instantly detach himself from the tragedies he had created. him referring to basil’s body as a thing will live on in my mind for a while.
one of my main criticisms (outside of the weird way jewish or non-white people are discussed), is how so many things were left unanswered or not elaborated on.
- what were the crimes that caused basil to finally confront dorian?
- who is the woman from the tavern?
- what happened when they found dorian’s’ gross body?
as a reader, it was an at times frustrating experience but i would highly recommend listening to ben barnes narrating it.
my overall review is: it wasn’t what i was expecting it to be at all.
i think maybe i would have loved it more had i read it earlier but there’s a language barrier and cultural sensitivity barrier that i think ruined the reading experience for me. this book wasn’t written for a queer black woman in the 21st century to read and it shows.
i do absolutely find the book fascinating and i’m glad to have read it. wilde’s characters felt so real and cemented in their identities here and i could almost see them in front of me. i knew some aspects of the story but i don’t think this is a story you can spoil because the true plot is in minute details - the underlying eroticism in basil’s infatuation with dorian, henry being a catalyst to dorian’s terrible character development even though it all sounded like a joke and then dorian himself starting off gentle and unspoiled and ending with killing himself out of vanity.
i find it fascinating just how many ‘rules for life’ henry could throw out to the world all for the plot and how he never expected anyone to actually take it seriously. i also found being in dorian’s head fascinating in a morbid sort of way, the way he could instantly detach himself from the tragedies he had created. him referring to basil’s body as a thing will live on in my mind for a while.
one of my main criticisms (outside of the weird way jewish or non-white people are discussed), is how so many things were left unanswered or not elaborated on.
- what were the crimes that caused basil to finally confront dorian?
- who is the woman from the tavern?
- what happened when they found dorian’s’ gross body?
as a reader, it was an at times frustrating experience but i would highly recommend listening to ben barnes narrating it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a beautifully written exploration of vanity, morality, and the darker sides of human nature. Wild's prose is lush and evocative, creating a vivid atmosphere that pulls readers into the world of Dorian Gray. The characters are fascinating, each embodying complex ideas and relationships. Dorian's descent into corruption, Basil's tragic idealism, and Lord Henry's manipulative wit make up a compelling cast that keeps the philosophical themes alive.
However, the novel isn't without its flaws. The actual plot of the novel felt quite thin compared to the description once you realize how much of the book is filled with lengthy descriptions and chapters where nothing is done to advance the plot that is discussed in the synopsis. The descriptions while beautifully written were often unnecessary in my opinion and often slowed the pace of the novel. Despite, the few issues I had with the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a thought provoking piece of literature that leaves a lasting impression.
However, the novel isn't without its flaws. The actual plot of the novel felt quite thin compared to the description once you realize how much of the book is filled with lengthy descriptions and chapters where nothing is done to advance the plot that is discussed in the synopsis. The descriptions while beautifully written were often unnecessary in my opinion and often slowed the pace of the novel. Despite, the few issues I had with the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a thought provoking piece of literature that leaves a lasting impression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Misogyny, Antisemitism
dark
reflective
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
Ugh, what a drag. In the beginning I was already considering a reread when I had more time to sit and sort out all the 19th century trappings but then came the mysogyny and antisemitism.
It had moments of being profane but overall was rather dull and the writing overly flowery.
Wanted to DNF several times but wanted to read it before reading Charming Devil by Rebecca Kenney.
It had moments of being profane but overall was rather dull and the writing overly flowery.
Wanted to DNF several times but wanted to read it before reading Charming Devil by Rebecca Kenney.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Classism
Minor: Suicide, Antisemitism, Alcohol
challenging
dark
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 was really struggling to get through this, which I think was mostly because of the language so I can't really fault the book for that.
I understand that this book is a product of its time so I try to look past any problematic stuff, but when one prominent character just spews misogyny in every other line he says, it's hard to ignore and it influences the reading experience.
I like the premise of this book, and I definitely didn't hate the experience of reading this, but I think I need to read some more classics and then revisit this one in order to appreciate it more.
I understand that this book is a product of its time so I try to look past any problematic stuff, but when one prominent character just spews misogyny in every other line he says, it's hard to ignore and it influences the reading experience.
I like the premise of this book, and I definitely didn't hate the experience of reading this, but I think I need to read some more classics and then revisit this one in order to appreciate it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Antisemitism
dark
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
whew i struggled through the middle portion of this book because i couldn’t stand lord henry’s aristocratic yapping. 😭 he’s so? full of shit?
oscar wilde’s words are fun to read though. he’s snappy. when he’s not describing lord henry’s contradictory tangents about pseudo-philosophy, i can picture every bit of each scene and its atmosphere.
oscar wilde’s words are fun to read though. he’s snappy. when he’s not describing lord henry’s contradictory tangents about pseudo-philosophy, i can picture every bit of each scene and its atmosphere.
The hideous hunger for opium began to gnaw at him. His throat burned, and his delicate hands twitched nervously together. He struck at the horse madly with his stick. The driver laughed, and whipped up. He laughed in answer, and the man was silent.
The way seemed interminable, and the streets like the black web of some sprawling spider. The monotony became unbearable, and, as the mist thickened, he felt afraid.
Then they passed by lonely brickfields. The fog was lighter here, and he could see the strange bottle-shaped kilns with their orange fan-like tongues of fire. A dog barked as they went by, and far away in the darkness some wandering sea-gull screamed. The horse stumbled in a rut, then swerved aside, and broke into a gallop.
how did oscar wilde do that 😭 i’m in love with his writing.
i can’t believe this book was published over a hundred years ago either, because it feels modern, current. the characters have messy relationships with each other; dorian gray tortures himself with a mix of pity, righteousness, superiority and terror; not to mention the incredible gay subtext that seem more text than subtext, and i’m already — unfortunately — reading the censored version. one doesn’t need the uncensored version to understand that basil the painter was tragically in love with dorian. 🙂↕️
if i don’t judge it as a novel, because i don’t think it was well-structured at all, i still think reading it was quite the experience for me. i’d love to read more of oscar wilde’s stuff.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Antisemitism
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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: Antisemitism, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism
i do quite enjoy messy gays and corruption, so overall i had a great time
however the random ass antisemitism was crazy and irrelevant. i get classics tend to have them but there really was no point for it other than cheaply trying to make us hate the manager
however the random ass antisemitism was crazy and irrelevant. i get classics tend to have them but there really was no point for it other than cheaply trying to make us hate the manager
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Misogyny
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