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A review by crisi_books
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
4/5 ⭐️
Oscar Wilde is wild and blatantly gay for writing this. The homoerotic undertones were severe and despite its vagueness, it’s honestly a wonder how this ever got published in 1890 with how obviously gay it is.
Is it bad to say I almost hated every character in this book, and yet still really enjoyed it? No? Okay.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fascinating examination of vanity, greed, and all those things that just make you hate people. The prose is mystical and keeps that feel about it that most gothic novels have, which I’ve learned is difficult to read more than a paragraph of when you’re running on four hours of sleep and the sheer force of will.
I could hardly put this book down despite finding it a difficult to read, which says a lot on how gripping and compelling it is. If I put it down for a second it was all I could think about and so I had to pick it back up. Oscar Wilde has wormed his way into my brain and will probably stay there for a solid while.
A lot of the discussions about aestheticism and philosophy do come off as a little preachy (especially bc Henry Wotton can’t help but spew a paragraph about how lovely youth is and other shit every two pages), and there is sexist and misogynistic commentary, but overall it is thought provoking and intriguing.
Oh, Dorian. Poor Dorian. You dumb, dumb boy.
Oscar Wilde is wild and blatantly gay for writing this. The homoerotic undertones were severe and despite its vagueness, it’s honestly a wonder how this ever got published in 1890 with how obviously gay it is.
Is it bad to say I almost hated every character in this book, and yet still really enjoyed it? No? Okay.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fascinating examination of vanity, greed, and all those things that just make you hate people. The prose is mystical and keeps that feel about it that most gothic novels have, which I’ve learned is difficult to read more than a paragraph of when you’re running on four hours of sleep and the sheer force of will.
I could hardly put this book down despite finding it a difficult to read, which says a lot on how gripping and compelling it is. If I put it down for a second it was all I could think about and so I had to pick it back up. Oscar Wilde has wormed his way into my brain and will probably stay there for a solid while.
A lot of the discussions about aestheticism and philosophy do come off as a little preachy (especially bc Henry Wotton can’t help but spew a paragraph about how lovely youth is and other shit every two pages), and there is sexist and misogynistic commentary, but overall it is thought provoking and intriguing.
Oh, Dorian. Poor Dorian. You dumb, dumb boy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, Infidelity, Violence, Suicide, and Stalking