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wolfthorn's review against another edition
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
3.0
I haven't read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I have seen a television adaptation of it so I am aware of the plot. Before actually getting to the novel, there's a General Introduction and then a Textual Introduction. I found the General Introduction to be quite long-winded and hard going, but at the same time it was very interesting to learn about the background of the novel and why there is an uncensored version in the first place! It was also quite helpful in explaining aestheticism and how the moral is regarding the life of an aesthete which I probably wouldn't have understood the same.
The novel itself was much easier to read than I feared after struggling through the General Introduction. I did find Chapter 9 quite heavy going, and not just for the ridiculously lengthy sentences! I felt like I was missing a lot of references, and did have to look up various names, although that was more down to my lack of knowledge than a fault of the book. It was interesting to read about the lifestyle and how men of prestige spent their time. I was a little disappointed however, to be unable to find any of the scandalous homoerotic content that so shocked the 19th century readers. I think there is some hidden meaning in various phrases that I am missing which is a shame.
The novel itself was much easier to read than I feared after struggling through the General Introduction. I did find Chapter 9 quite heavy going, and not just for the ridiculously lengthy sentences! I felt like I was missing a lot of references, and did have to look up various names, although that was more down to my lack of knowledge than a fault of the book. It was interesting to read about the lifestyle and how men of prestige spent their time. I was a little disappointed however, to be unable to find any of the scandalous homoerotic content that so shocked the 19th century readers. I think there is some hidden meaning in various phrases that I am missing which is a shame.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Minor: Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
lucithefer's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
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