Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

140 reviews

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

A classic in so many ways with poignant reflections on youth, beauty and what makes a good person. There are also so many layers of queerness in each of the characters and their relationships. 

It is certainly a product of its time, with several sexist comments and some antisemitic portrayals. Readers should be aware of this before beginning to read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Death, Murder, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Blood

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Antisemitism

queeniecraft's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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: Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use

bblanka's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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: Murder, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Drug use, and Death

superstar_y2k's review against another edition

dark

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, and Murder

warlockdorian's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

valreadsallnight's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

5.0

This book was, is, amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, and Suicide

Minor: Antisemitism

The instance of antisemitism happened only early in the novel, but it is really, really viscerally pungent. So prepare yourself,

Spoiler

it happens when Dorian is talking to Henry about the theatre owner, and continues until the first major event of the book.

eve_kadou's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, Death, and Violence

thetallestbird's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

It's a slow start, but once it picks up it hooks ya! The prose, while gorgeous, did make for a bit of a slog at times. Overall, I'm glad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, and Drug use

Moderate: Antisemitism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Racism

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: 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

challenging 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 loved this! Great classic. Probably one of the most digestible bc of its relatively short length. My only complaint would be that some sections dragged in the middle to me (all the super long descriptions of what Dorian was learning)

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Content Warnings

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