Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Picture of Dorian Gray

There are many thoughts I have about this book so let's brain dump them:
- Obviously beautifully written. Result: Lot of quotes!
- Interesting characters, non of them exeptionally "loveable" but that was not how they should be. Their flaws and different beliefs made this so interesting and without those the book couldn't thrive.
- Additional to the point I just mentioned, it was very manipulative. Looking at the time it was written the characters (men) wanted to be right and brush their beliefs onto everyone else. Even though those beliefs included misogynistic and racist views - the concept of that was really interesting and really important to the character development.
- The pacing was.. weird. Sometimes it was way too descriptive about e.g. a perfume. At other points it felt rushed especially at major plot lines. That was confusing but maybe intended? Edit from future me: After some debates with my dad I realize - the pacing was totally fine and fit the purpose perfectly. As a contemporary reader this is quite odd to read. Being used to a stable outline reading Wilde's work is weird but sheds light on an important tool in literature: pacing.
- The philosophy was on point about society, youth, art and more that you will discover in the book. Especially the person who told his philosophical views was entertaining.
- I loved the athmosphere! Dark, dramatic leaning into gothic.
Overall: 5 stars. I think I will reread this in 2 or 3 years to get a new view on it. But I can recommend to start as early as you can to pick this book up! If you are lucky (like I was) you can get a perspective on this book quite early, maybe even in your "youth". That will hit harder since there are many dialogs about that ;)

Content Warnings

_saphyr_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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brnineworms's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.0

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

rusty_moonshadow's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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madinhoa's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.0

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