Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

49 reviews

rory_john14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Addiction, Antisemitism, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Stalking, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, and Infidelity

Minor: Confinement, Alcoholism, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Grief

filipa_maia's review against another edition

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

3.75

I have a really hard time reading classics. The people who are represented in them are so wildly different from today's reality (from my reality, at least) that I have a really hard time trying to not be annoyed throughout the book. Everyone is so overly dramatic: the women keep fainting, people are always in each other's houses (I would hate living back then)... every little thing that happens is a story for days... So, in reality, to my eyes (and not wanting to get classic lovers angry) every single "classic book" look, and sounds, the same to me.

This book is a little bit different. Oscar Wilde combines the cliches of classic books with the horror and mystical aspect of a fantasy story, and I really enjoyed that. I already knew Dorian Gray's story: the guy that never ages and has a picture that keeps getting older, but I didn't know this much. I enjoyed discovering the madness behind Gray's actions, the things that he does, to himself and others, without taking any responsibility. On one hand I wish I knew what kind of "magic" is behind the painting; on the other hand this gives another coat of mystery to the book.

I have a couple of questions still:
* Why is every character so hateful? I have Dorian, I hate Henry, I hate that entire society.
* Don't people get curious with the fact the Dorian does not age? They know him for year... don't they wonder?

Anyway, overall this is a good book, very mysterious and entertaining.

P.S.: The edition that I read is one without the six "infamous" chapters. Apparently, someone, sometime ago, decided that the original book had six chapters that where "too gay", so some books don't have them. I discovered this because I've read this book in a group read, and some of the girls had more chapters than the others... So, this edition was published for the first time in 2009. Where those chapters still "too gay"?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, and Murder

Minor: Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Addiction, and Dementia

ran_sophia's review against another edition

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

2.0

The author has a pretty good writing style, but I still didn't like the book very much. Descriptions of all the equipment in the house seemed completely useless to me. The only thing I liked was the theme of the book, that every action and decision has its consequences.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Body shaming

Minor: Fatphobia and Sexual violence

maymaymav's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny

greatu's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Stalking, and Suicide

scorpio_rising5's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

even with it's darkness the book is rich and absorbs you into it's queer world

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Toxic relationship

cadybooks's review against another edition

dark funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

namu_lover's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

one of my favourite books i've read in the past couple of years! it's really interesting and it explores different views on life, which i found fascinating!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Toxic relationship

safety_pin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Violence

kyliereichert's review against another edition

dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship