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fantomerrant's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0
Oh, how to begin talking about this book? I adored it, despite it being clearly problematic at times (misogyny, antisemitism, romanticizing adults attracted to children and the likes, though some of it isn't clear whether it is coming from the characters or the author) but it is also so wonderful. Wilde's prose is incredibly poetic but by all means, my favourite thing about this classic is all the references and themes of beauty and greek ideals, as well as tragedy, terror and fatality, because it parallels my favourite book of all time: The Secret History. I wonder if Donna Tartt drew some of her inspiration from Wilde, and more specifically Dorian Gray.
"Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic" "Beauty is terror, whatever we call beautiful we quiver before it"
"There is something fatal about a portrait" "Does such a thing as the fatal flaw, that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn't. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs"
Dorian, which at times does remind me a little of Henry, is constantly being referred to as greek figures like Appollo or Narcissus. The way Sybil, his first love, is described reminds me a lot of Camilla.
There's also this romanticising of suicide/death where Sybil's, and later Basil's, ends are seen as a beautiful thing, through the lens of Shakespearean references like Romeo and Juliet or Ophelia, and it is simply used as a device to further Dorian's transformation.
As an artist myself, this novel, just like the works it draws parallels with, really touched me. I found the end of both the book and of Dorian's, incredibly fitting. How he, or rather his youth, it's memory, ended up absorbed in his portrait, as it was always meant to. How his soul, and its true nature, was released as Dorian enacts the final act, which reflects what he himself admired in his love interests, which is to kill himself, though quite inadvertently.
As a queer person, I can’t end this review without mentioning that I appreciated reading a classic written by another queer person, despite Wilde being problematic. And I appreciated all the queer subtext, if you can call it that (as to me, it was the clearest thing). I believe this book to be about the tragic love story of Dorian and Basil, or at least, of Basil's love for Dorian, and Dorian's love for himself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Antisemitism
asharamakumar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose...his own soul?"
This is the fundamental question explored in Oscar Wilde's magnum opus, The Picture of Dorian Gray. In only 270 pages, Wilde creates a compelling story with enough background that the foreground is that much more electric. The characters are complicated, elusive, and perhaps most importantly, flawed.
The ending, in particular,reminded me so much of Black Swan! The Aronofsky HAS to be inspired by this story. The constant pursuit of beauty, youth, and perfection ultimately leading to their demise. And of course at the end, when Nina thinks she's stabbing the Black Swan, she's actually stabbing herself.
The interplay between love, violence, lust, and greed is extraordinarily compelling.
This is the fundamental question explored in Oscar Wilde's magnum opus, The Picture of Dorian Gray. In only 270 pages, Wilde creates a compelling story with enough background that the foreground is that much more electric. The characters are complicated, elusive, and perhaps most importantly, flawed.
The ending, in particular,
The interplay between love, violence, lust, and greed is extraordinarily compelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Murder
neali's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Antisemitism
perth_is's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
4.25
happy pride month, everyone
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
micaela11's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
overall interesting but all those quotes about women, society and morality were way too on the nose and extremely repetitive, i guess at the time it might have been shocking because people weren't allowed to say stuff like that but side eye if you find it really smart now
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Antisemitism
liline163's review against another edition
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Suicide
Minor: Drug use
archiveofrasa's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I prefer this version ever so slightly to the 1891 version and the reasons have never been so obvious (this is Textually Gay)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Antisemitism
Minor: Racism
missmarguerita's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Utterly terrifying, fabulous ending.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism
archiveofrasa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
it's a classic what else can I say
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Antisemitism
Minor: Drug use and Racism
almaprincess66's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
Mostmár biztosan tudni fogom az utalásokat amiket erre a könyvre tesznek.
Újonnan, ez egy olyan klasszikus mű, mely saját szerepet tölt be a pop-kultúrában, s így a róla szóló információimból teljesen másra számítottam.
Most elkezdhetnék filozofálni, de az szegény Basil kárára menne. Nem kellett volna meghalnia. Szegény szerelmi tragédia.
Dorian a könyv vége felé már szinte teljesen szerethetetlen lett és ezt a narratíva nagyon jól csinálta.
Henry. Henry. Henry. Mit mondjak rólad? A karakteredet imádom de a nézeteidet sokkal kevésbé. The egy borzalmas ember vagy, egy paradoxon gép de legalább te és a környezeted is tudja.
És akkor drága egyetlen Sibyl. Te ártatlan gyermek. Neked se kellett volna meghalnod.
Mindenki aki jó úton járt és jól cselekedett meghalt! (Kivéve Dorian-t mert ő csak hiún cselekedett)
Nem tudom ez az üzenet mit akar átadni, talán azt, hogy a szerelem tragédia és minden jó elnyeri méltó büntetését a végén.
A festmény mint metafora nagyon tetszett. Főleg, hogy rájátszott a metaforára és beleépítette a történetbe. Hogy a történet egy meghatározó eleme egy ennyire elénk helyezett metafora volt.
Összeségében remek mű, vicces, tragikus, frappáns és száz százalékik megértem miért vitték az írót miatta bíróság elé.
R.I.P. Basil Hallward, te és Nick Carraway nagyon jó barátok lettetek volna!
Újonnan, ez egy olyan klasszikus mű, mely saját szerepet tölt be a pop-kultúrában, s így a róla szóló információimból teljesen másra számítottam.
Most elkezdhetnék filozofálni, de az szegény Basil kárára menne. Nem kellett volna meghalnia. Szegény szerelmi tragédia.
Dorian a könyv vége felé már szinte teljesen szerethetetlen lett és ezt a narratíva nagyon jól csinálta.
Henry. Henry. Henry. Mit mondjak rólad? A karakteredet imádom de a nézeteidet sokkal kevésbé. The egy borzalmas ember vagy, egy paradoxon gép de legalább te és a környezeted is tudja.
És akkor drága egyetlen Sibyl. Te ártatlan gyermek. Neked se kellett volna meghalnod.
Mindenki aki jó úton járt és jól cselekedett meghalt! (Kivéve Dorian-t mert ő csak hiún cselekedett)
Nem tudom ez az üzenet mit akar átadni, talán azt, hogy a szerelem tragédia és minden jó elnyeri méltó büntetését a végén.
A festmény mint metafora nagyon tetszett. Főleg, hogy rájátszott a metaforára és beleépítette a történetbe. Hogy a történet egy meghatározó eleme egy ennyire elénk helyezett metafora volt.
Összeségében remek mű, vicces, tragikus, frappáns és száz százalékik megértem miért vitték az írót miatta bíróság elé.
R.I.P. Basil Hallward, te és Nick Carraway nagyon jó barátok lettetek volna!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Xenophobia and Antisemitism
Minor: Addiction