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A review by whippycleric
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was my first foray into Oscar Wildes work and I was very surprised. Like with most of my reading I went into it knowing very little. I knew the publication date so expected something a bit Dickensian but somewhat modernised. For the first few chapters this was what I got, the writing was sublime and I had an idea of where the story would go. During the second half I came to the realization I was completely wrong. The writing remained as good as before but the plot became so much more than I expected.
I really struggled to decide between 4.5 and 5 stars for this one, and I might very well change my mind later, but for now I've gone for 4.5. The only reason for this is that due to the length of the book I never got fully engaged with an individual characters arc. Whilst we see the entire life of Dorian Gray the central chapter covering decade of his life in a series of beautifully written analogies does not, for me, build the picture as well as it could have done if we just had a few vignettes for those years across several chapters. In addition I think a bit more about Basil and Lord Henry in those intermittent years could have gone a long way to fully rounding the story.
It's an absolutely brilliant book and I'll read the rest of his work soon I'm sure. Next time I visit his grave I'll have a greater appreciation as well.
I really struggled to decide between 4.5 and 5 stars for this one, and I might very well change my mind later, but for now I've gone for 4.5. The only reason for this is that due to the length of the book I never got fully engaged with an individual characters arc. Whilst we see the entire life of Dorian Gray the central chapter covering decade of his life in a series of beautifully written analogies does not, for me, build the picture as well as it could have done if we just had a few vignettes for those years across several chapters. In addition I think a bit more about Basil and Lord Henry in those intermittent years could have gone a long way to fully rounding the story.
It's an absolutely brilliant book and I'll read the rest of his work soon I'm sure. Next time I visit his grave I'll have a greater appreciation as well.