desertcart.com: The Picture of Dorian Gray: 9780141439570: Wilde, Oscar, Mighall, Robert, Mighall, Robert, Mighall, Robert: Books Review: A Queer Gothic Masterpiece That Still Resonates - Rereading this after years, I'm struck by how thoroughly queer this novel is, and how brave Wilde was to write it in 1890. Yes, the homoerotic subtext had to be subtext given the era, but it's absolutely central to understanding Dorian's corruption, his relationship with Lord Henry, and especially his obsession with Basil. Wilde's wit is on full display throughout. Lord Henry's aphorisms are deliciously cynical, and the dialogue crackles with intelligence. But beneath the surface brilliance is a genuinely unsettling gothic tale about beauty, morality, and the cost of living a double life - themes that feel painfully relevant to queer history. Knowing Wilde's own tragic fate adds another layer to the reading. You can feel his struggle between desire and Victorian propriety woven into every page. Dorian's portrait, aging and corrupting while he remains beautiful, becomes a powerful metaphor for the masks queer people were forced to wear. This is essential reading for anyone interested in queer literary history. It's both a thrilling gothic novel and a time capsule of coded queer expression. The prose is gorgeous, the story is gripping, and it deserves its place in the canon. A masterpiece that belongs on every queer reader's shelf. Review: A picture can be two pictures - Amazing story, a true classic, and one of the ongoing (following Jeckell/Hyde) descriptions of the co-existence of purity and perversity within the same individual at the same time. This particular book is attractive and well made. Forced to read it in middle school, had no clue. Now as a senior it makes perfect sense, a short but compelling read.
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| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,114 Reviews |
R**R
A Queer Gothic Masterpiece That Still Resonates
Rereading this after years, I'm struck by how thoroughly queer this novel is, and how brave Wilde was to write it in 1890. Yes, the homoerotic subtext had to be subtext given the era, but it's absolutely central to understanding Dorian's corruption, his relationship with Lord Henry, and especially his obsession with Basil. Wilde's wit is on full display throughout. Lord Henry's aphorisms are deliciously cynical, and the dialogue crackles with intelligence. But beneath the surface brilliance is a genuinely unsettling gothic tale about beauty, morality, and the cost of living a double life - themes that feel painfully relevant to queer history. Knowing Wilde's own tragic fate adds another layer to the reading. You can feel his struggle between desire and Victorian propriety woven into every page. Dorian's portrait, aging and corrupting while he remains beautiful, becomes a powerful metaphor for the masks queer people were forced to wear. This is essential reading for anyone interested in queer literary history. It's both a thrilling gothic novel and a time capsule of coded queer expression. The prose is gorgeous, the story is gripping, and it deserves its place in the canon. A masterpiece that belongs on every queer reader's shelf.
A**R
A picture can be two pictures
Amazing story, a true classic, and one of the ongoing (following Jeckell/Hyde) descriptions of the co-existence of purity and perversity within the same individual at the same time. This particular book is attractive and well made. Forced to read it in middle school, had no clue. Now as a senior it makes perfect sense, a short but compelling read.
A**R
Picture of Dorian Grey.
Very inytreging story. Read it in college 30 years ago. Rereading it was equally good.
R**H
Llegó bien
Llegó bien
C**L
AMAZINF
LORD HENRY IS SO COOL AND HOT
M**O
A lovely book ❤️
A lovely book! Oscar Wilde is a very talented writer and I love his books! In my opinion, his writing style is very understandable and this is one of my favorite books I’ve read. The ending was perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a classic!
K**R
Just the cover is nice.
Beautiful cover but the spine doesn’t have the name of the book and there are no page numbers.
K**.
Great addition to the home library
This has been on my TBR for quite a while. I am so happy to add it to my library and to finally give it a read. Fast shipping, great quality and price
Trustpilot
2 months ago
4 days ago
