Reviews

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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bruinuclafan's review against another edition

4.0

I thought that this book was going to be a quaint story about 19th Century English society. But this story is crazy! Young Dorian Gray has his portrait painted and, after realizing his own beauty, wishes that he can remain forever young and beautiful as reflected in the picture. Be careful what you wish for...

Wilde magnificently captures the downward spiral of debauchery and indifference upon which Gray embarks. And the color commentary on life and society offered during Gray's conversations with his friend, Lord Henry, cuts to the cynical core of interpersonal relations.

I'd give this 5 stars, but some of the descriptions went on for too long. There is one chapter in the middle of the book that was excruciating to push through--about 90 minutes for 17 pages. Also, the anti-semitism was entirely gratuitous. I suppose for that time it's not surprising.

Still, I would highly recommend the book. Not an "easy" read but engrossing nonetheless.

vail484mro's review against another edition

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1.0

I desperately want to like this book so if somebody could explain its brilliance to me I would genuinely want to hear it. HOWEVER.
More than half of this book is incoherant rambling from Lord Henry. We hear Dorian’s perspective and downfall through Lord Henry’s (needlessly sexist) monologues instead of through the main character himself, which I feel makes the book lack emotion and makes Dorian seem waay too naive (which may be the point but still?? It’s just so uninteresting).
I don’t understand the pacing? The first 100 pages is primarily exposition, and the last 100 skips 18 years and skips the actual change to evil in Dorian? I feel like if the 18 years had been well developed the ending would have been much more emotional and powerful. You would have actually understood how far he has fallen instead of just getting vague references to his new reputation and occasional flashbacks.
As for the aesthetic, girl what aesthetic?? Literally an entire chapter dedicated to Dorian’s love for jewels and tapestries? The opium dens? The many dinner parties with characters who are entirely forgotten for the rest of the book and women who are endlessly scorned by Lord Henry??? This is not dark academia, this is rich people problems and primarily Lord Henry’s ENDLESS opinions about EVERYTHING, which really could have been lovely if not for the fact that they are CHAPTERS long and we never get to actually see Dorian process them and actually become persuaded by him??

evgeorge's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

carlyq05's review against another edition

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4.0

“Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them”

“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself.”

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

too many things are underlined