The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A staple of gothic horror dripping with queer subtext, Oscar Wilde’s tale of eternal youth gone awry is a cautionary fable on how beauty is only skin deep and how we must all accept we will grow old.
As it was written over a century before Stonewall and the gay liberation movement, it does suffer from the dreaded bury your gays trope. Also, Wilde’s tendency to filibuster on what he considers “good art”, and other subjects made the plot stand still at times for several passages. I also wasn’t a fan of how stuffy and pretentious the writing was.
That said, I did enjoy the novella and identified with Dorian’s wish to remain young forever, as I’m approaching middle age.
However, the way everyone thirsted after Dorian was rather disturbing, given he was described as barely out of his teens; it recalled how the queer community often puts young and beautiful people on a pedestal, then throws them away once they age out of being hot.
Overall, the ending felt maudlin and Dorian’s punishment disproportionate to his crimes.
I give The Picture of Dorian Gray 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. You should check this out if you like Victorian gothic horror, but know the ending is far from happy.
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