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Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Gun violence, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Body horror, Misogyny
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders
I found it an interesting book to use as a touchstone when thinking about the rise of anti-intellectualism in today's modern culture. Lord Henry is someone who is not an intellectual, constantly and openly refusing to engage with anything around him on a true level, but is harrolded by many as a great philosopher, even being a main linchpin in the corruption of Dorian at the beginning. Throughout the narrative, Dorian parrots things Lord Henry has espoused, and continues to encourage a culture of beauty over intelligence or careful thought. Lord Henry is able to avoid consequence by simply not acting on any of the things he says, but Dorian, who says those things as if he does not care, seems incapable of not acting. He is actively seeking the pleasure that Lord Henry insists is there, not noticing when Henry is not doing the same.
This idea that beauty is something that is earned by being good and that death is the deserved ending of those who act immorally is something that I will probably take longer to think about. I would probably identify it as the key theme of the novel, which brings up lots of questions. Why is Oscar Wilde so interested in beauty as a concept? Why does he feel inclined to write about it in this way? The idea that death is the natural end of those who are improper is not a new one, especially in the writing of Wilde's cohorts, but this fascination with beauty as emblematic of character, while a common conception at the time, is something that seems unusual.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug use, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder
Minor: Body horror
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: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Stalking, Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Racism