A review by reverie_and_books
The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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

5.0

Oscar Wildes »The Picture of Dorian Gray« caused quite a stir in its uncensored edition in the 1890s: Britain was on a mission of “morale” to expose gay men. Wildes case, some argue, didn’t exactly help, largely because he didn’t back down in time and put others in danger. Wilde had already made a name for himself, so they made an example out of his case. He was sentenced to two years of hard labour. The prosecutors used quotes from this uncensored text, since they were alluding to s*xual inversion (another term of that time). 

If you've read the censored novel, you'll notice that this edition is missing some storylines and entire chapters. More importantly, Basils adoration for Dorian is way more tangible:

»I quite admit that I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly. […] There was love in every line, and in every touch there was passion.«

Dorian Gray was one of the firsts English classics I’ve read and it still is a favorite. Reading it a second time, albeit in a different edition, I enjoyed it even more. It’s been sitting on my shelf for quite a while. The newly published historical fiction  »The New Life« finally made me pick it up - my review will follow soon.

Also, Nicholas Frankel wrote a thorough and interesting introduction. I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone who enjoyed the better known version or is interested in lgbtq+ history of Britain.
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