Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray

Aging isn't nearly as terrifying as the pursuit of eternal youth.

This book makes an incredible social critic that should be read today. Always relating "beauty" and "youth" with "purity". The deep dive in Dorian's mind and how humans can be so easily influenced by their surroundings. The shift of guilt to aliviate ones mind.

Beautifully written, incredibly immersive.

"Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days have been your sonnets." I wish i could quote this entire passage by Lord Henry.

Content Warnings

rebecca_77's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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fr3y's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

A tad fruity ✨💅🏳️‍🌈

Content Warnings

criticalgayze's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

I can definitely appreciate this classic for its inspiration in the field of queer literature. Wilde paints this portrait of a dandy that made me wonder many times whether this book was reflecting parts of gay male "salon" culture that persists today or whether this novel spurned the themes of white gay culture we see today. I also love seeing the direct inspiration of later gay classics like Giovanni's Room and The Lure.

I do feel that I would need to take a class with a Wilde or period-literature scholar to truly appreciate this work, however. The introductory essays by Frankel help enlighten the reader a bit to the groundbreaking aspect of this work, but the editor also frequently references the "explicit" nature of the work. This led me, in the 2022 of it all, to believe that there would be depictions of intercourse that never arose. I think a scholarly dive into this one might help me better understand what about this work was so controversial and so groundbreaking at the same time as to begin the domino effect of Wilde's imprisonment, expatriation, and death.

Quotes:
Intellect is in itself an exaggeration, and destroys the harmony of any face. (59)
"Poets are not so scrupulous as you are. They know how useful passion is for publication. Nowadays a broken heart will run to many editions." (67)
"I never approve, or disapprove, of anything now. It is an absurd attitude to take towards life. We are not sent into the world to air our moral prejudices." (105)
"Never trust a woman who wears mauve, whatever her age may be, or a woman over thirty-five who is fond of pink ribands." (132)
"You call yesterday the past?" (138)
Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book. There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful. (178)
Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril./Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. (239)

Content Warnings

androgyny'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

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lucithefer's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

house_of_hannah's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective 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

2.5

This year I made a list of 8 classics I would like to read either this year or the next. This book was my first one from that list. However, I feel like I misunderstood the direction this book would take. There was no description of the story on the book itself, and what I've seen of Dorian Gray from media is that he's an immortal where his portrait ages instead of himself. I thought he would have been around for a few hundred years when the book began, but instead it is his origin story. There is a little bit of a time skip at one point, and shortly after the book ends. Overall it was a very different experience than I expected.

The book follows 3 main characters: the man who paints the portrait, Basil, his friend, Lord Henry, and of course Dorian Gray. The beginning is mainly about how Dorian realizes his beauty and youth, so it was interesting to see his "corruption". Most of the book is implied though, and they never really go into detail about any of the things Dorian gets involved in. I really thought the book was going to be graphic, but it is much more tame than I would have ever expected.

The middle definitely drags, and I was even falling asleep while reading at a few points. The characters sometimes just go on tangents about psychology, or philosophy, that take up multiple pages. I found I was reading without really absorbing the words at those points. There is also rampant misogyny from Lord Henry that made my jaw drop a few times.

I did not see the ending coming, and it is probably my favorite part of the story. It's what bumped my rating from a 2 to a 2.5. Overall I just feel that the book is simply ok, and I'm glad that I finally know the story of Dorian Gray.

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