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waytoomanybooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
fe_aye's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, and Classism
thevampiremars's review
- 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
The Picture of Dorian Gray is good. I wasn’t blown away by it, but the premise is solid and I was pleasantly surprised by how audaciously queer it is. I can see why it’s considered a classic. Definitely worth a read.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
avacronin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic that I think everybody should have the chance to read at least once in their life. It's a powerful story with a magical element to it, and certainly deserves the role as a classic piece of literature. However, it most definitely is not a perfect story, and revolves around the faults of the main characters. Throughout the description of faults is beautifully descriptive paragraphs, which may bore some.
I do agree that some characters in this book (cough cough Dorian and Lord Henry) can be incredibly annoying, however the fact that these characters infuriated me and so many others show that we have morals, unlike those characters. The faults of these characters, and the way in which they are overlooked in the presence of money and power is one of the messages and themes in this novel, and a powerful one it is.
While this book may not be to everybody's taste, I did enjoy the experience I had reading it. I do however suggest reading the trigger warnings before reading, as many things are described in great details.
The Pros
- I know it may not seem like a pro to some readers, but I really did like the brutally honest way in which the lower class areas were described, and how different the descriptions were compared to those of the upper class, taking Lord Henry's house for example. It serves as a way to show how Victorian Era London actually was, the bad parts (like the opium dens) included. However, I did also appreciate the way in which Wilde described most things in this book.
The Cons
- I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed and slightly underwhelming. Although I got part of what I wanted, it just was not as satisfying as I wished it would have been. The only good part about it was that I didn't expect it at all.
I would recommend this book for people to at least try and read once in their life. It carries a deeper message, and if you take anything from it, take the message to never live a life like Dorian
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction and Drug use
kathleenivy's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria