Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

10 reviews

lizziaha's review against another edition

reflective

4.0

I do think this book is mostly Oscar Wilde taking the opportunity to poke fun at anything and everything while trying to be absolutely charming. I did not agree with every little quip or moral that the book had to offer but I suspect that I am not supposed to. I do find Wilde’s treatment of women to be a little sus, as always. But the Faustian bargain—the main crux of the story—is intriguing. I think I might appreciate the book more upon rereading it.

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cturn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

an_owls_eye's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

wormgirl's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-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

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lis4so's review against another edition

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This book reminded me of the reason I why I hate classics

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ambdocksey22's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.5

The only reason I am not giving this book 5 stars is because of the racially insensitive language throughout the book. I understand the time that it was written but I hated reading through every passage that contained a slur or some kind of racial hatred.

Content Warnings

bhavya_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“To define is to limit.”

~ Rating- 5 stars ~

Content/ Trigger Warnings- Ableism, Misogyny, Suicide, Murder

Note- I have tried to include all the content warnings that I noticed, but there is no guarantee that I haven’t missed something.

-No Mention of these in the review-

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”

Dorian Grey is a youthful and attractive man, who trades his soul for the eternal youth of his portrait. Dorian, who has no regard for his soul and is full of vanity, ego and pride, lives just to satisfy his desires, and completely disregards his immoral behaviour toward others in the process. The Picture of Dorian Grey is a story about a young man who becomes a victim of devilish influence and has his soul corrupted. It is Dorian's struggle to accept the consequences of his own wicked actions, and Wilde's social commentary on how the mind can be swayed so easily to do cruel things. It explores the age-old question that everyone must ask themselves; Do I aspire to be good? And, more importantly, can I refrain from being bad?

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”

The Picture of Dorian Grey, in my opinion, is a truly admirable piece of literature. Before reading the book I wasn't sure what it was about. The only thing I knew regarding the book was that it was one of Oscar Wilde's best work, and that it was a 'must read classic', which is why I picked it up. I definitely wasn't prepared for the dark, atmospheric tone of the book, accompanied by Wilde's mesmerizing flowery writing. I wasn't prepared to have my mind blown away.

“Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing.”

There is no denying the superiority of Wilde's work. The Picture of Dorian Grey was my first Oscar Wilde read, and if this book is any testament to Wilde's excruciating talent, then I am really looking forward to reading more of their work. This book is a great reflection of how we do things we don't mean to, and the kind of impact it has. It lets us see the twisted parts of our minds that we ignore, and makes us question our beliefs. Its also a good representation of how other people often influence all our deeds and decisions, and they way they affect our self-perception and world-view.

“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.”

Audiobook Comments-
The audiobook was narrated by Ben Barnes, and the narration was wonderful! I would highly recommend, especially for beginners. (Audiobook rating- 4.5/5 stars)

“The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history.”

Overall, The Picture of Dorian Grey was an impactful read and I really enjoyed it. It made me reconsider a lot of things and offered a new perspective on life. I'm waiting to re-read it in the future.

“Words! Mere words! How terrible they were! How clear, and vivid, and cruel! One could not escape from them. And yet what a subtle magic there was in them! They seemed to be able to give a plastic form to formless things, and to have a music of their own as sweet as that of viol or of lute. Mere words! Was there anything so real as words?”

Review written & uploaded on 2nd February 2022.

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DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite

...................................

My mind has been blown away. RTC.

Content Warnings

jackyjoojoo's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

could be boring at times but otherwise amaizing :)

Content Warnings

alldebstinations's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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booksjessreads's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced

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

4.5

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the way Wilde played with the ideas of aesthetics over ethics, the power of influence (by both the characters and the temptation of sin) and of the imitation of life in art. I loved how Basil was an angel sat on one of Dorians shoulders, and Lord Henry was the Devil sat on the other, and I enjoyed the interplay of all the characters.

I also enjoyed the dark theme of the novel. Very often, books I have read have a 'picture-perfect' view of life or have a happy ending and it was stimulating to follow a character who's life ended up being so entrenched in corruption and vanity, whilst having an ungovernable compulsion to engage with sin in order to provoke some kind of feeling or experience.

I admit that the novel was slightly flowery in places but this didn't put me off in any way and I think the florid prose actually suited the plot and the temperament of the characters.

For my first classic, I think I picked a good one! I am yet to read some more reviews and analysis of the book but from what I've read of them so far, it's helped me understand some things better! I am definitely going to give this a re-read to see how my perspective and understanding of the book changes a second time round!

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