Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

9 reviews

sagelikesscats's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-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

I will definitely return to this book. Great writing, great characters, and an amazing ending. I did find that all of the rich people problems get annoying towards the end, but still a fantastic book about beauty, morality, and heathenism.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Classism

The classism is less of a thing that happens and more of a general presence throughout the book.

seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Death of parent

l1v_yy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved the way that Dorian could be portrayed as both a villain and a victim in a way and I thought the ending was very sad but it also showed how Dorian had matured in all the years he spent in youth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

alomie's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.5

Read this one for my in-person Book Club, I found it to be a little tedious at times, and gosh isn't the language flowery, why say something in 10 words when you can say it in 50, am I right?
I understand that Dorian Gray is a book on our morals and the dangers of youth, and temptation, but I found it really took a long time getting there, and in parts I found this frustrating.
There was also a lot to say about Wilde's understanding of women, it was dated, and also obvious that Wilde preferred the company of men, and it really did feel like he was writing about someone whom he admired/loved greatly, but I grew tired of the descriptions of how beautiful or wonderful or equisite Dorian Gray was, and although that was the point, I found myself skimming over the long descriptions.
As a non French speaker, I was glad I read this on my kindle, as I could look up translations on the fly, I think this would have taken me much longer if I had read a physical copy.
Overall I liked the story, and I'm glad I can say I have read it, but it's not something I will go back to time & again, I may at some point watch a film adaptation of this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Sexual content

The ending was super cool, I liked how it came to a crescendo and that after all his vanity, in death he was only recognised by his rings.

thevampiremars's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

I knew of Oscar Wilde, of course, but this was my first time actually reading his work. I found it difficult not to use the book as a means of analysing its writer. He was known for his wit but was he genuinely clever or just good at appearing clever? Maybe there’s no distinction. Maybe it’s foolish of me to try to judge the character of a man by the work he creates. Wilde himself rebuked the idea that art should be taken as autobiography, that works of fiction reveal something about the writer. Then again, he also wrote in a letter “[The Picture of Dorian Gray] contains much of me in it — Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry, what the world thinks of me; Dorian is what I would like to be — in other ages, perhaps.” It’s hard not to read the story as a reflection of its author to some extent.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is so much gayer than I expected. Like, it’s difficult to even describe it as subtext. It’s right there, unmistakable despite careful censorship, from chapter one onwards. I have to admit, this kind of pining, withholding, and hinting at queerness appeals to me far more than the uncomplicated “representation” we tend to see nowadays. I acknowledge literature like this comes from a society in which homosexuality was criminalised and deeply stigmatised – the ambiguity I adore wasn’t just a stylistic choice, it was a necessity – but it resonates with me in a way modern queer media just doesn’t.

The story is dominated by the theme of influence (and its inverse, impressionability). It’s handled well for the most part but I don’t really understand the significance of

the book Lord Henry recommends to Dorian. I know that some scholars identify it as an ode to either The Yellow Book or Huysmans’s Against Nature, and that the idea of a “poisonous book” was accentuated in later editions in response to the controversy surrounding this very novel upon its publication. In other words, I know that Wilde was playing with the idea of an immoral piece of literature corrupting (read: queering) young minds. That said, Dorian is already affected by the picture painted by Basil Hallward and the mirror given to him by Lord Henry, not to mention Lord Henry’s words; the addition of the corrupting book seemed to overcomplicate what was otherwise quite an elegant concept.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is good. I wasn’t blown away by it, but the premise is solid and I was pleasantly surprised by how audaciously queer it is. I can see why it’s considered a classic. Definitely worth a read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

amyayeme's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Rape and Sexual content

ran_sophia's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

2.0

The author has a pretty good writing style, but I still didn't like the book very much. Descriptions of all the equipment in the house seemed completely useless to me. The only thing I liked was the theme of the book, that every action and decision has its consequences.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Fatphobia and Sexual violence

bronbaewr's review against another edition

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

the gorgeous use of the english language is reason enough to read it, but the plot is also interesting. as is the history!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Sexual content

crying_again's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood

Minor: Misogyny and Murder