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Reviews
The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition by Oscar Wilde, Nicholas Frankel
pinyada's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.75
Amazing concept, great characters who show the complexity of love and hate, the writing was sometimes hard but mostly really enjoyable. Only complaint was the weird section where it was just Wilde yapping for loads of pages, describing furniture etc
alisarae's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Wilde book I've read. It was very good and I enjoyed it, but not like OMG I HAVE TO READ THIS AGAIN good. It's a classic for a reason. That said, I think I was feeling a lack of side character development, and it appeared that huge jumps took place with very little being said about them.
strawberrygrapejelly's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Lord Henry was INSUFFERABLE, never wanted a character to shut the fuck up more in my life.
Five stars.
I opened this book with high expectations and they were exceeded.
I love a good obvious Christ or Satan figure (hint: it's Satan in this one).
The book was hedonistic and indulgent in a way only few people could pull off.
Terrible, terrible people but you're still able to pity Dorian for his gradual corruption, even while you're fully hating him and hoping he'll finally get his.
Don't know how I went almost 30 years without reading this. Weird because I know a lot about Wilde.
(Kinda interesting how Oscar Wilde's existence directly contradicts what Lord Henry posits about good artists and their personal lives. And while I know Lord Henry is no true stand in for Wilde, the preface implies he'd probably agree with him on that)
I'm yapping now but just read it if you've been thinking about it.
Five stars.
I opened this book with high expectations and they were exceeded.
I love a good obvious Christ or Satan figure (hint: it's Satan in this one).
The book was hedonistic and indulgent in a way only few people could pull off.
Terrible, terrible people but you're still able to pity Dorian for his gradual corruption, even while you're fully hating him and hoping he'll finally get his.
Don't know how I went almost 30 years without reading this. Weird because I know a lot about Wilde.
(Kinda interesting how Oscar Wilde's existence directly contradicts what Lord Henry posits about good artists and their personal lives. And while I know Lord Henry is no true stand in for Wilde, the preface implies he'd probably agree with him on that)
I'm yapping now but just read it if you've been thinking about it.
Graphic: Misogyny and Antisemitism
nilsar's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It's a classic and impressive for the time. But then, you quickly notice how poorly it aged. How women are portrayed throughout the book, the random antisemitism, the annoyingly chauvinistic and flat main characters... it becomes a bit of a chore to read at times and feels longer than it is.
monogatari's review against another edition
4.0
So many beautifully crafted sentences. Gothic. Hedonism. Depravity.
dodobees's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
captkait's review against another edition
Maybe circle back later
I like Oscar Wildes writing but I don't feel like reading about a dumb pretty man child
Also wasn't ready for the antisemitism which was in fact jarring
I like Oscar Wildes writing but I don't feel like reading about a dumb pretty man child
Also wasn't ready for the antisemitism which was in fact jarring
theorygirl_ftw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mooseabs's review against another edition
5.0
“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?”
I remember starting this book sometime around three years ago, and immediately 'saving' it for when I was in dire need of a good book. You know, the kind that can bestow upon the reader the plain, unbridled joy of reading? The kind where you read a sentence that betrays no notion of its beauty, adopting a simplicity that makes you go through it plainly the first time, until you finish it, suffer through a double-take, and then read it all over again, this time weighing each word for the gem it really is. That is what this book is filled with.
I think I will get back to this review sometime later and expand on it. For now, it is enough to say that I am completely spellbound by Wilde.
I remember starting this book sometime around three years ago, and immediately 'saving' it for when I was in dire need of a good book. You know, the kind that can bestow upon the reader the plain, unbridled joy of reading? The kind where you read a sentence that betrays no notion of its beauty, adopting a simplicity that makes you go through it plainly the first time, until you finish it, suffer through a double-take, and then read it all over again, this time weighing each word for the gem it really is. That is what this book is filled with.
I think I will get back to this review sometime later and expand on it. For now, it is enough to say that I am completely spellbound by Wilde.