Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - The Picture of Dorian Gray, with eBook

Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Picture of Dorian Gray, with eBook by Oscar Wilde

188 reviews

abominablebas's review against another edition

dark funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'd say the character development is complicated because it isn't exactly developing...rather, Dorian Gray has a corruption arc. Very great book, but prospective readers be aware that there is Anti-Semitism that comes out of nowhere early on in the book. The man who runs the theatre Sybil Vane works at is described and characterized with gross stereotypes and caricatures.

Content Warnings

ratxheart's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

Content Warnings

martine3's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

dalaia's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

1_800_fuck_off's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

i read the dover thrift edition of this book.

i picked up this book on a whim because it had been sitting on my shelf for some time. even though the first two chapters piqued my interest, it wasn't enough to convince me that i had to read the remainder of the book. i did, however, manage to complete all of it on the same day.

the first half was fairly entertaining. i fw lord henry wotton. he was an amusing character, despite the fact that i didn't share many of his theories of life. despite the fact that he only made sporadic appearances by this point, he helped me finish the book's second half without becoming too bored. as amusing as he was, i do think lord henry most likely had a significant impact on dorian's development as the story progressed, though.

basil hallward was a bleeding heart. i liked him because there wasn't much to dislike about him—unless you don't like sympathetic characters, which he frequently presents as throughout the novel. he definitely loved dorian, and not just as a friend. my boy was in love. fortunately, even though i occasionally find these characters to be a bit boring, that wasn’t entirely the case with him. i had more pity for him than anything else, particularly after what became of him.

then, of course, we have dorian gray, who began as a kind, shy, gullible, and curious boy on the precipice of adulthood. ironically, i don't really have much to say about him. dorian gray grew obsessed with beauty and staying young forever. he learned the consequences that came with that obsession. i don't really feel very much about him as a character, other than the possibility that when i get older, i might be able to relate to him more. even now, in terms of appearance, i wouldn’t mind staying young forever, but i don’t quite envy the events that followed after dorian made such a wish.

the book's primary topic is youth. it describes its marvels and the fascination that the rest of the world feels for it. all of its highs and lows. the beauty and the wildness of it. the arrogance one might experience in what could be the prime of their lives and the unfathomable sense of invincibility that goes along with it.

now that i think about it, this book discusses society as a whole quite a bit. everyone has at some point envied youth and wished they could maintain that state of being and beauty forever. the people who are currently experiencing those years, which are frequently a source of envy for the rest of the world, have probably been through what dorian went through. most likely not in a specific way, but rather by being oblivious of the beauty of their youth until it has passed them by. some people have the good—or bad—fortune of having a lord henry wotton in their lives, whose character could also serve as a metaphor for society in general, who encourages them to take advantage of their youth and to focus only on their own needs. basically, to be selfish and chase pleasure in those fleeting years. youths are frequently subjected to the moans of those who long for that era once again or who regret not making the most of that brief period of time.

this book might make you seriously contemplate your present, your past, or your future. it's an intriguing classic, albeit a bit monotonous. especially the second half. even though it was somewhat expected, the ending was a bit of a "oh wow" moment in a positive sense. well, not entirely positive, but iykyk.

anyways. yeah. thought-inducing classic of a book. nice. on to the next book.

Content Warnings