Reviews

Teleny by Oscar Wilde

alysian_fields's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

3.25

antoniosantos's review against another edition

4.0

I really don't know what to think about this story, it left me confused, disgusting... it's pornographic, well written, but it's also problematic, short-sighted and hateful in several scenes. It made me repulsed, disgusted, uncertain and I really enjoyed several scenes. Due to the times and their ignorance, obviously some interpretations of sexuality are erroneous and limited. It is an audacious and disturbing book within the context of understanding complex and dysfunctional relationships.

altinn's review against another edition

3.0

sooo gay (obv) but also so gross at points

asavagegarden's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

caissa_chthonia's review against another edition

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

2.5

marianina's review against another edition

3.0

Pfftt, I thought after reading a couple of reviews as I was about to start this acid trip. How bad can it be? I mean, I did buy it from the classics section of a bookshop.

So, turns out it was pretty intense. My boys wanted to write some edgy porn and so they did. Respect. Live your lives. It was graphic. It was chaotic. I took a big break at the two thirds of the book because I couldn't stop laughing every time he referred to genitals with a different name. And then, when I thought it was over, there's this person just casually shoving a bottle up his anus and dying shortly afterwards. So there was that.

I kind of remember reading the whole story behind this book years ago but I didn't make the connection when I bought it and I was so excited to read it because the author name just clicked. I finished the first chapter and things were kind of off (my man Camille ejaculated twice in a span of ten pages) so I just had to google it. Wikipedia: genre: novel;pornography. N i c e.

(The beginning scene was gold though and Hungarian music is great).

blockofsoy's review against another edition

3.0

This book is definitely quite the interesting read. Teleny was one of the earliest pornographic novels that almost exclusively focuses on a homosexual relationship between two men. The authorship is unknown but is heavily attributed to Oscar Wilde and may have even been a collaborative novel. The novel focuses on the relationship between Des Grieux and Hungarian pianist Teleny, where Des Grieux falls in love with the pianist at his concert, after claiming that his playing had given him visions of music that he had never experienced before. Des Grieux is also coming to terms with his sexuality as he accepts his attraction to Teleny, feeling jealous towards any man or woman who has expressed interest in the pianist. The two eventually profess their love for one another, undergoing a series of events, such as attending an underground homosexual male (modern day orgy, if you will) where Teleny shows Des Grieux the number of men attracted to one another, receiving an anonymous threat, etc. Eventually, Teleny asks for a bit of a break, ostensibly to focus on his career. Des Grieux then catches him in bed with his (Des Grieux's) mother, learning that she had paid off his debt and had asked for sexual favors in return. Des Grieux attempts suicide, and Teleny stabs himself in the chest, the two finally re-professing their love for one another before Teleny tragically dies.
This book was a lot, in more ways than one. There was a lot of graphic sexual detail, accounts of underage sex and rape, and suicide, so definitely not a light-hearted read.

evanor's review against another edition

Dragged myself through it and I just couln´t keep on reading for the life of me. I might finish it one day, though. Only good when he talks about Teleny and half of the book is him trying not to admit that he´s in love whith him or whatever and youre just waiting for them to have sex even though youre 3/4 into the damned thing and they´ve only just made eye contact.
Also, I'd like to know what the main character is on because each time he opens his mouth to give his opinion it's atrocious.
In all honesty I started this book in part for the shits and giggles and also because I was curious about how 19th century people saw sexuality and sex but now I just have a lot of questions and no answers.
Good writing, though

margosokay's review against another edition

4.0

The language this novel uses almost makes it its own dialect of English. As a lesbian lines like “made my penis water” were definitely not meant for someone of my own nature but it was interesting to read. The incest and rape threw me a little off, but the incest makes sense in the sense that he was equating the sins of sodomy to the sin of incest. Not sure if I would recommend this book but I am glad I read it.

km_books's review against another edition

4.0

So… yes this book is … well… it’s certainly something, but writing an essay on it has been even more interesting. It’s so interesting to read and think that this was written (and distributed) during the Victorian era. I would never have even thought to seek out or wonder about Victorian porn if it weren’t for my university module, ‘Sex, Scandal and Sensations’. Such an interesting conversation around sex and our understanding of it through the decades and eras.