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A review by samanthabreading
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
2.0
"Life is not governed by will or intention. Life is a question of nerves, and fibres, and slowly built up cells on which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams."
Quotes like that help me to understand why this story is considered a classic and why some people love this book. I was so excited to read this based on what I have heard on the concept and how fascinating it was for Wilde to write this type of story, especially in 1890. Despite this, I honestly did not have a good time reading this book. I may have had a lot more praise for it and may have worked better for me as a short story? It wasn’t because the language was flowery, more so that the main characters were so insufferable and it felt like nothing really happened until near the end. This book was only 200 some pages but FELT more than double that to SLOGGGG through, and this was with a tandem physical and audio read.
I give Wilde respect for this type of story in that time period (though it is heavy on the antisemitism and misogyny), but this was just not my jam nor my cup of tea.
Quotes like that help me to understand why this story is considered a classic and why some people love this book. I was so excited to read this based on what I have heard on the concept and how fascinating it was for Wilde to write this type of story, especially in 1890. Despite this, I honestly did not have a good time reading this book. I may have had a lot more praise for it and may have worked better for me as a short story? It wasn’t because the language was flowery, more so that the main characters were so insufferable and it felt like nothing really happened until near the end. This book was only 200 some pages but FELT more than double that to SLOGGGG through, and this was with a tandem physical and audio read.
I give Wilde respect for this type of story in that time period (though it is heavy on the antisemitism and misogyny), but this was just not my jam nor my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Classism