sagelikesscats'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
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Murder, Mental illness, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content, Classism, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Suicide
The classism is less of a thing that happens and more of a general presence throughout the book.kananineko'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
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Stalking, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, and Death of parent
seapotatohowisitalrtaken'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
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
thequeercaseofmarius'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
4.75
‘Why is your friendship so fateful to young men?’
Our main cast of characters are so very gay, and it’s crazy because it’s almost like Wilde met my gay friends and acquaintances and wrote a book about us (I like to think that I am Basil). But I also see each character as a different side to the Queer experience; Basil being the Queer artist who represents the beauty and tenderness of love between men, Lord Henry as the witty sass Queen that gay men are often viewed as from the outside, and Dorian represents Queer fears and anxieties that most of us have experienced some point in our life. The result is one of the most ingenious Queer horror stories ever written.
‘Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray. What Dorian Gray’s sins are no one knows. He who finds them has brought them.’
-Oscar Wilde
Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Body horror, Drug use, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, and Death
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicide, Antisemitism, Classism, and Racism
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
This novel is VERY dark as it covers a lot of internalised homophobia and fear of your own Queerness.jessthanthree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, and Body horror
hauntedboi'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
3.5
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Minor: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Addiction, Infidelity, and Racial slurs
spineofthesaurus's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Blood, Suicide, Gaslighting, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Xenophobia, Ableism, Colonisation, Racism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
dalaia'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
3.25
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Infidelity, Suicide, Alcohol, Drug use, and Gore
teslis'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
2.0
First of all, it has a really old language and for me reading in my second language made it harder to take in and understand. This was the third book club book we read and I’m happy I read it but I’m sad I didn’t understand it as well as I would like. I think I’ve been in a book slump, after reading so many classics and harder books that this was probably the end of that era. I have one more classic from the library but after that I will go and find more easier books. I want to think reading is something fun, not a chore.
Spoiler
It was fun to realize the thing with the painting changing and Dorian staying the same physically, but not psychologically. When he killed his friend I was so confused but interested and I think that made the book both interesting but also the fall for me. Parts like him discussing the book that change his life made me so tired and probably a reason for not giving the book the right chance.Will not reread this book in the near future but maybe in 10, who knows. I’m happy I got to challenge myself by my book club friend with this book!
This book took me 8 hours and 10 minutes.
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Blood, and Death
lau_dbs'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
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Suicide, Alcohol, and Blood