Reviews

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

sarazzz5's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

neshasurya's review against another edition

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4.0

"all art is quiet useless" 

of course, the statement in the preface creates a lot of questions for those who think that art and science are equally essential (i see you, dead poet society fan lol). however, now that i've finished the book, i believe i fully get what wilde was trying to say (sotoy aja sih). 

i like his writing style. they are so exquisite. if we open twitter or pinterest, we will find lots of quotes from oscar wilde. it seems like the writing has a double meaning. which of course makes the book feel more complex.  

there are also really good discussions about beauty, youth, obsession, art, morals, and society. what is considered good art? what makes a book good? what is meant by good acting? and several interesting questions and/or statements that made me nod or even disagree about it. 

as someone who almost exclusively reads literary fiction, i was surprisingly enjoyed reading this classic. i find this book kinda funny (define FUN). maybe because lord henry often expresses sarcasm about society or self-loathing dialogues that feel like i'm reading gen z tweets (it's even like i'm looking at my journal too HAHA).

but after chatting with my friends i was confused because they said the book was haunting. meanwhile, i was giggling while reading it. turns out it just felt haunting from halfway to the end. we see dorian who turns into a psycho just because he has to hide his secret. starting from gaslighting, and threatening people, to making people commit suicide. it was eerie. i'm more and more curious about the film. especially because there is ben barnes!

overall, i would recommend the book to people who are just starting to read classics, like me.

ohhenrie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

galile0's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

I haven’t read many classics but I really enjoyed this one. The language is eloquent and thoughtful without being confusing or conceited. The characters were well written and believable as well, which is something I NEED in a book

mirindashi's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5

notsolocaltheatrekid's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

eve_reads44's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective fast-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

5.0

annahngr's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bbunieny's review against another edition

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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

me when i don’t get my botox fix

camotigetz's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

5.0

Although it was a bit slow at times, reading was never boring. Kept me eager for the next page. It was very interesting to follow the mind of Dorian as he grows up and actually detoriets in character instead of developing. Very unusual and thrilling topic.

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