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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5 stars. I love the philosophy of this book and the ending was particularly captivating as we watched Dorian finally descent to death. However, the middle lacked plot and direction, becoming too philosophical, better for a non-fiction essay.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have so many highlights for this book.
the dialogue is just chefs kiss. the delivery to sybil that drove her into taking her own life.
the imagery showcases london so beautifully and the mentioning of all the places that still exist to this day
the contrast from a naive young man to a horrible one, turning more into henry than basil. the way he feels seeng the painting change but persists to be cruel.
the whole book is such a beautiful and gothic rendition of a person spiralling into insanity. being enticed by what society wants and what is moral.
I've seen the movie but the book was an entirely different experience.
5/5
the dialogue is just chefs kiss. the delivery to sybil that drove her into taking her own life.
the imagery showcases london so beautifully and the mentioning of all the places that still exist to this day
the contrast from a naive young man to a horrible one, turning more into henry than basil. the way he feels seeng the painting change but persists to be cruel.
the whole book is such a beautiful and gothic rendition of a person spiralling into insanity. being enticed by what society wants and what is moral.
I've seen the movie but the book was an entirely different experience.
5/5
challenging
dark
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
An arguably important novel, decorated with gorgeous prose and one I am glad to have read.
HOWEVER
Though the story seems a warning against the dangers of hedonism, Wilde's own belief in aestheticism (a philosophy I disdain) makes one wonder why at all the book was written. The fate of Dorian Grey being as tragic as it is, seems to be another artistic indulgence, an aesthetic decision in itself in the name of a 'beautiful work of art' which renders the implied philosophical criticism of the plot null. This leaves the work, in my opinion, irritatingly paradoxical in intention.
In addition, the majority of the characters (though admittedly well written) are grating.
Both of these facts make the reading experience rather unenjoyable.
HOWEVER
Though the story seems a warning against the dangers of hedonism, Wilde's own belief in aestheticism (a philosophy I disdain) makes one wonder why at all the book was written. The fate of Dorian Grey being as tragic as it is, seems to be another artistic indulgence, an aesthetic decision in itself in the name of a 'beautiful work of art' which renders the implied philosophical criticism of the plot null. This leaves the work, in my opinion, irritatingly paradoxical in intention.
In addition, the majority of the characters (though admittedly well written) are grating.
Both of these facts make the reading experience rather unenjoyable.
Dorian Gray is a horrible person, there’s no room for debate on that. But he’s a great character. The portrait reflects his true self and the life he lives also reflects that, showing it’s not the appearance of how someone seems but the actions that they take that reflect their true character, no matter how young and “I’m not 40 and I didn’t make your sister kill herself I swear” they look. The ending was awesome, the writing was amazing, super great book.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The ending caught me off guard, I had to take a pause because what just happened. I read this book for it's Philosophy, so the plot always caught me off guard. I love it so much. Definitely read it. It's's so good.
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really delivered everything I wanted it to be. Although I found it a bit difficult to get into at first, it perfectly balances the hedonistic language and indulgently long sentences with sudden bursts of gothic that drove the plot. At points it read more like a script than prose but for me that helped the pace of the novel and added contrast to the chapters of pure description. I would recommend it for the symbolism alone but also if you like a morally corrupt character because this book does it so well.