Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Portrait of Dorian Gray: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Reader's Choice Edition) by Oscar Wilde

18 reviews

filipa_maia's review against another edition

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

3.75

I have a really hard time reading classics. The people who are represented in them are so wildly different from today's reality (from my reality, at least) that I have a really hard time trying to not be annoyed throughout the book. Everyone is so overly dramatic: the women keep fainting, people are always in each other's houses (I would hate living back then)... every little thing that happens is a story for days... So, in reality, to my eyes (and not wanting to get classic lovers angry) every single "classic book" look, and sounds, the same to me.

This book is a little bit different. Oscar Wilde combines the cliches of classic books with the horror and mystical aspect of a fantasy story, and I really enjoyed that. I already knew Dorian Gray's story: the guy that never ages and has a picture that keeps getting older, but I didn't know this much. I enjoyed discovering the madness behind Gray's actions, the things that he does, to himself and others, without taking any responsibility. On one hand I wish I knew what kind of "magic" is behind the painting; on the other hand this gives another coat of mystery to the book.

I have a couple of questions still:
* Why is every character so hateful? I have Dorian, I hate Henry, I hate that entire society.
* Don't people get curious with the fact the Dorian does not age? They know him for year... don't they wonder?

Anyway, overall this is a good book, very mysterious and entertaining.

P.S.: The edition that I read is one without the six "infamous" chapters. Apparently, someone, sometime ago, decided that the original book had six chapters that where "too gay", so some books don't have them. I discovered this because I've read this book in a group read, and some of the girls had more chapters than the others... So, this edition was published for the first time in 2009. Where those chapters still "too gay"?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Dementia, and Death of parent

lara_bk's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism and Suicide

Minor: Death of parent

michayla13's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

Minor: Racial slurs

rmlsxb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

i got attached to basil and

actually sobbed when he died LMFAOOO

and if one more person says that Ben Barnes was perfect for the role of Dorian i will commit a felony

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Ableism, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Emotional abuse, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

borokaaa's review against another edition

mysterious slow-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

4.75

EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK IS SO GAY

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

taniethrifter'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol

s_zoe_k05's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse and Stalking

curatoriallyyours's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

It somewhat picked up the pace in the end but not much happens until half way through the book. Prior to that it's all just unlikeable characters bantering and being ever so clever or ever so dramatic. It was OK. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent