Hello everyone! I'm happy to be back reviewing, though I am a little rusty, and although I can't take books to review since I don't have much time anymore, I hope you enjoy a few of my reviews now and then on books I've been reading.Genre: classical, Gothic
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis:
In London, the artist Basil Hallward meets the stately Dorian Gray, immediately becomes inspired to paint his portrait. Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, believes it is a masterpiece, though Basil is disappointed and refuses to exhibit it because he believes that he has revealed too much of his feelings for his subject. Dorian is soon led to believe that his portrait will someday remind him about his lost beauty and youth. He and Lord Henry become fast friends, and Dorian vows to lead a life dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. As Dorian's innocence slips away, his portrait slowly changes from youthful to old, just as he had feared. He slowly delves into a life of corruption, all while his portrait shows the results of his actions.
Review:
I loved the plot and the mystery surrounding the portrait! This wasn't at all what I had been expecting.
There was a lot of detail and older language used, so it is a more challenging read, not exactly the perfect book for everyone. I found that it took a lot of re-reading to fully understand the intention behind each sentence, but it was well worth it.
*Spoilers ahead!* highlight to read
My favorite parts of the novel were the deaths of Sybil Vane and Basil Hallward. They added a lot of interest and kept me engaged. I felt as though they were the easiest to picture (why? I will never know), and they made me excited. They were very unexpected!
Overall, I feel like this was a little challenging to read, but there is a lot of surprise that I was not expecting from a classical novel. If you want to try a more exciting classic, this is the book for you.
*This is one of three books on my Brit Lit reading list so more reviews are coming!*
Upcoming reviews
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
3 comments:
I read this two years ago and i liked it a lot, too
GREAT review
Your reader,
Soma
http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much! It's a great read, and I'm glad you enjoyed it as well :)
Hi Melanie! I felt very much the same about this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it when I had to read it in high school, but ended up liking it immensely. I find Oscar Wilde to be surprisingly funny and the book was unexpectedly entertaining. I'm glad you enjoyed it too! -Theresa
Post a Comment