Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

5 reviews

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

3.0

Knowing about Oscar Wilde's past is crucial to reading this novel. It's not just that his gayness was an open secret, but that his targets weren't just men, but also boys. As in actual teenage children. Wilde was also openly Antisemitic and misogynistic in his real life and throughout the novel. What his three main characters do, say, think, and feel very closely mirrors Wilde's own. Much like the titular Dorian, it is clear that Wilde suffered from an inflated ego, was bloated with pride, and had a conscience that weighed him down...but not enough to change, grow, or do better. Trigger warnings abound throughout this novel as we watch Dorian explore the world of vice and sin, leaving a body count in his wake.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Gore, Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Suicide, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Child death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

yleavy's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Homophobia

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

fomko's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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

5.0

Beautifully written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Homophobia, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

jowmy4's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

It may have been the fact that I was listening to an audiobook version, but I found many of the long, descriptive paragraphs hard to follow. As it's a Wilde, though, the dialogue was good. There's character development, but not in a 'positive' direction. Social commentary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence

Minor: Sexual violence

Regarding the violence, death and blood,

The only likable character is murdered by the main character.

Also, there is implied sexual violence.