Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories by Oscar Wilde

5 reviews

joshkiba13's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.5

I read this for ENGL 202 at UW. I loved all the passages in Dorian's mind as he grappled with conflicting desires of youth and beauty versus his darker interior. Lord Henry was well characterized---a constant annoyance to me with his incessant philosophies on life. The different evil developments throughout the story interested me, and as Dorian's mind was truly corrupted there were some great descriptions.

What brought it down for me was my inability to relate to 19th century rich men; countless references to plays, poems, art, and just the overall vibe of richness made some passages unbearable---especially Chapter 11 when Dorian is seeking every worldly pleasure in order to distract himself.

That said, it was a good slow-burn story with surprising developments, and a very open-ended and intriguing ending.

Also RIP Basil; he was the only character in the whole book I could stand

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide and Murder

Minor: Drug use and Pedophilia

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

3.0

Knowing about Oscar Wilde's past is crucial to reading this novel. It's not just that his gayness was an open secret, but that his targets weren't just men, but also boys. As in actual teenage children. Wilde was also openly Antisemitic and misogynistic in his real life and throughout the novel. What his three main characters do, say, think, and feel very closely mirrors Wilde's own. Much like the titular Dorian, it is clear that Wilde suffered from an inflated ego, was bloated with pride, and had a conscience that weighed him down...but not enough to change, grow, or do better. Trigger warnings abound throughout this novel as we watch Dorian explore the world of vice and sin, leaving a body count in his wake.

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Content Warnings

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

lis4so's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism

Minor: Pedophilia, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

Exquisitely written, my only critique being maybe the abrupt ending and those five to ten pages of Wilde reading a catalog of fabrics, furniture and artifacts from 1880 to illustrate that Dorian is vain. Also warning: you might get the urge to fling yourself into a chair to express emotion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racial slurs, Suicide, Blood, and Classism

Minor: Pedophilia

Period typical racial slurs and exoticism. Read with several grains of salt. Also idk if it was just me knowing Wilde's backstory but the idealization of "childlike" youth/beauty kept rubbing me the wrong way.

spookystag's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Antisemitism

Minor: Pedophilia