Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (4/5 stars)

I have loved this novel since I first read it back in my high school days. The unmistakably timeless themes throughout it coupled with its fascinating premise–a young man wishes for eternal beauty, and the portrait painted of him begins to age in his stead while he remains outwardly unmarked by age and sin–ensures that the book places near the top when it comes to my lists of favorite literary classics.

As I reread the novel as an adult, it struck me how beautiful (and difficult!) Wilde’s writing was. I’d taken a lot of things for granted about the book when it rested on its high pedestal in my memory! For readers old and young, I recommend The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Disclaimer: Readers might want to be aware that some of the characters’ words and actions, especially by modern standards, could often be construed as homosexual in nature. This makes more sense when one realizes, as I recently did, that the book’s original manuscript contained explicit homosexual content (the unedited version was later publicized as The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray, which I have not read). Wilde was, himself, homosexual. None of the content of the “censored” version–the version that was originally published and is most widely publicized today–is outwardly homosexual in nature, but the vibes are definitely present. I personally do not aim any hate whatsoever toward the LGBTQ+ community or any of its members. However, some readers might appreciate the heads up, which is why this disclaimer exists. So, do with that information what you will!

Language: 9.5/10 (Mild/rare swearing).
Sex: 9.5/10 (Mild/rare references to sex).
Violence and gore: 8/10 (Minimal violence or gore, not detailed or extensive).

Plot: 10/10 (The Picture of Dorian Gray was written way ahead of its time! So much of it–the witty exchanges between characters, the exaggerated drama of human nature, the all-to-satisfying ending–can, like a mirror, reflect the internal conflicts that plague people in the modern day, hundreds of years after its initial publication. Universal and timeless stories like that definitely earn 10/10 ratings).
Characters: 6/10 (Despite the genius of the novel’s plot, the characters themselves are unrealistic, especially in the modern day. Not only that, but the characters are extremely one-dimensional with mere “hiccups” of moral change throughout, with the exception of Dorian himself, and even that isn’t entirely true).
Writing style: 8.5/10 (Of course, a novel published in the 1890s is going to read more archaic than modern literature. I take personal biases toward modern writing styles into account when I rate the writing of classic literary authors. Wilde’s novel drips with beautiful language, wise statements, and witty quips. The reason why I cannot rate his style as high as a 10/10 is due to the multiple lengthy sections of the novel that seemed to go off on a tangent almost irrelevant to the story itself).

Genre: Adult literature, classic literature, fantasy, realistic fiction
Potential triggers: Suicide, murder, blackmail, etc.
Is this book part of a series? No.
I would recommend this book to readers aged 14+.