Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

138 reviews

lenorayoder's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The plot and characters in this book are both really interesting. Dorian’s internal monologue and Henry’s creeping influence are both well done. Unfortunately, Wilde frequently goes on long tangents, often philosophical or referential in nature, that are a real chore to get through and don’t really feel like a part of the story. You don’t have to make your readers suffer to show that a character is insufferable. 

If you are planning to read this book I recommend this edition, the notes were informative and provided details about what was censored or changed between the early versions of the novel. It felt worth it to read this once, but I suspect I would like a good adaptation better and will seek one out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Murder

broccoli_mmm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Wow wow wow.

Sometimes a piece of art just finds you at exactly the right time in your life. I had no idea what to expect going into this besides the queer subtext but wowww.

The idea of life itself as a form of art is brilliant and beautiful. Dorian’s complete misapplication of that principle is both fascinating and horrifying. Lord Henry is both clever and right and wicked and wrong. There is no room for absolute truth here.

The dialogue is insanely good, the only books ive read that come close are Austen’s. Every Basil and Dorian scene had me floored. sweet Basil </3

I want to read lines from this over and over and over again.

-0.25 because of the chapter listing every gemstone, tapestry, and instrument Dorian owned lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Violence, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence

nolongerhuman_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, and Mental illness

missmarguerita's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Utterly terrifying, fabulous ending. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism

hdkroon's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

everyone is terrible, chapter 11 almost killed me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

cdkm9's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Murder and Classism

Minor: Suicide

katie0528's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This is such a famous classic I wanted to read it. For me, I think it being so iconic was it's downfall. The premise is exactly what everyone already knows. That is actually very little of the plot, with the rest of the book containing of Dorian Gray's friend and initial corruptor philosophizing about his personal cynical brand of hedonism that causes and conrinaully exacerbates Dorian's fall. However, it gets quite exhausting, especially since everyone is quite horrible.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Drug use

lucy_fabulous's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

It’s a great book. Fascinating plot, pokes fun at society (who doesn’t want that?!), funny at points, and really thought provoking. My only issue is that there is quite a lot of filler, slowing it down a fair bit. This can make it a bit challenging, but I’d say it’s worth a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Classism

reading_on_the_moon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Suicide

willow_the_wisp's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Classism