Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

524 reviews

ella_elizabeth66's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was worried after such a great story there wouldn’t be a satisfying end, but one was delivered.

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figsofpeach's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad 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

3.75


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kattila's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-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

3.25


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marionhoney's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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


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wowsmeows's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.5

"Beautiful sins, like beautiful things, are the privilege of the rich."

I went into Dorian Gray without knowing anything about it, and I really enjoyed it for the most part.

The main story is intriguing and there was a few unexpected moments that I really enjoyed. The three main characters (Dorian, Henry and Basil) are so incredibly unlikeable and would be tedious to know in real life, yet I still found them to be engaging. I think this book is a great example of how main characters do not have to be likeable for a story to be enjoyed. 

The thing I disliked about the novel novels is that it feels like the story gets interrupted by the author going on a personal tangent and lecturing the audience.  I really struggled through one specific chapter and I very nearly didn't pick it back up again. It felt very preachy and really interrupted the story. 

Overall, I enjoyed The Picture of Dorian Gray and I'm glad I picked it up!

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konstantly's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Disgustingly good.

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joey_estrada's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I've heard people say this is predictable and to not read it for the plot. I actually enjoyed the plot very much and I didn't find it predictable because when I read, I just stay present and don't think ahead of try to "solve" anything. It was very good and easy to read for a classic.

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corruptednatz's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I felt more sympathy for the side characters more than Dorian Gray. Alan, Sibyl, James and especially Basil! Lord Harry is something else I have no love for him. 

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paigehf's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5


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gvstyris's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.25

The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray derives its power from being both timeless and a time capsule: simultaneously a window into the superficiality of Victorian aristocracy and an eerily relevant tale of our society's enduring obsession with youth and beauty. Dorian's moral degradation is subtle and poignant, arguably amplifying following
Sybil's death and as a result of Lord Henry's influence.
  This novel is a series of character studies, with each arc's resolution suitably poetic -- particularly those of Dorian and Basil. I also think it's worth acknowledging that the perspective in this book is deliberately very white, British and male, making it an interesting commentary on masculinity. I would argue that much of the misogyny shown on the page is deliberate and plot-relevant.

This was my first time reading anything by Oscar Wilde, and I was surprised by how overt the queer undertones were. I've similarly found Wilde's commentary on his relationship to his characters to be one of the more interesting takeaways here, with him noting that "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps.” Much to research, anyways -- it's clear that this novel is inseparable from Wilde himself. 

I've knocked off some points for the odd painfully overwritten section (Chapter 11, for example) which hindered my enjoyment throughout. I definitely had to push through at times, but am glad to have finally read this one.

Those who are faithful know only the trivial side of love: it is the faithless who know love's tragedies. 

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