A review by thmei
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was beautiful and terrible and indulgent and pretentious and every character was self serving and self important and turned beautiful phrase as easily as I breathe and I loved every second of reading it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Murder

Moderate: Suicide and Stalking

Minor: Sexism

The sexism isn’t graphic at all and even gets argued with by another character at one point so, for me personally, it wasn’t an uncomfortable or upsetting read, but know that it’s there. From what I can remember, it was all in the many conversations about philosophy and primarily came from one character, so the author seems to have made him view women this way intentionally (and i don’t think you’re supposed to particularly like this character). Dorian picks up some of this sexism as another nod to this character’s negative influence on him. I think its inclusion was purposeful and done well.