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Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Портрет Дориана Грея by Oscar Wilde

32 reviews

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

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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challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Fantastic book. Very poetic is beautifully written. However, I will say there was a bit of anti-semitism in the book, however this might be due to the fact that the main character is meant to have bad morals, however this doesn’t get challenged by the author is any way. I found that aspect of it difficult to love.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

one of the best. books. ever. 

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challenging dark funny informative mysterious reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While the focus here isn't primarily anyone's sexuality (though it is mentioned), but Dorian's own relation with himself and the not traditionally masculine way this was written. I can see how this is an important piece in LGBT history.

I really enjoyed this read, and I love how varied the characters personalities are. On the question «Is the cast diverse?» I said no only because they're all white and in connection to the upper class, and that's what I assume the question is about, not the personality of the characters themselves.

This was wonderfully written, and entertaining as well, but the little thing I'm missing is a personal relation to them. I liked Basil, I liked Dorian, but neither evoked any stronger feeling than that.

Also, I must say that I got nervous for a while there, but am glad it ended with some death and tragedy.

Definitely worth a read! It's not very long, and has a limited set of important characters, so it's not hard to keep up with.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved this! Great classic. Probably one of the most digestible bc of its relatively short length. My only complaint would be that some sections dragged in the middle to me (all the super long descriptions of what Dorian was learning)

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark funny mysterious reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Expand filter menu Content Warnings