There is something so curiously morbid about the Picture of Dorian Gray.
To begin with, this is not an enjoyable book. No character is worth rooting fThere is something so curiously morbid about the Picture of Dorian Gray.
To begin with, this is not an enjoyable book. No character is worth rooting for, every choice made turns wicked, and the few decent characters never last long in this world of debauchery and depravity. At the beginning of the story, Dorian Gray is an innocent, beautiful, perfect youth, who in that moment, represents the very best of us. He represents our virtue, an unspoiled version of our natures. He represents what we would've been, if not for sin. We almost feel a sense of envy for this man that all others praise. They call him Adonis, Apollo, a man of magnificence and fascination and renown. He is society’s darling, and he occupies a place of glory that all of us have wished, at some point in time, that we possessed.
Yet Dorian does not remain a perfect person for long. He allows society’s endless praise of his beauty and youth and gracefulness to infect his soul and change his fundamental morality. Convinced by his friend Lord Henry, he begins to believe that there is nothing greater in the world than youth and beauty, and nothing more horrible than ugliness and age. So at the age of twenty, he trades his soul: the portrait of himself that his artist friend had painted for him will grow old and ugly and contain the sins he has committed, while he, Dorian, will stay forever beautiful.
Eighteen years pass, and Dorian spirals into hedonism, pursuing pleasure and beauty above all else. Yet still he remains physically unspoiled and beautiful. By the end of the story, there's almost a sense of unreality. Dorian has become so lost in his own madness and seeming perfection that we almost feel a sense of righteousness. Had we been in Dorian’s position, we whisper to ourselves, we would not have done the things he did. We would not have cruelty on our lips and hypocrisy in our eyes and blood on our hands. Yet Oscar Wilde, in the very final sentences of the book, juxtaposes the horrors of Dorian’s soul with the beauty of his face. Even with as deep as he sunk, Wilde points out, he was innocent and unspoiled once.
As I read, I found myself becoming frustrated at all the choices Dorian was making that were so clearly ruining his life. And then I wondered why I felt so irritated. He’s a quintessential perfect person, and we as humans love watching the downfall of perfect people. So why do I feel so frustrated?
My answer came after I finished the book. I read a note Wilde had written after the book had been published, and critics had been calling the book “poisonous.” Wilde had responded thus: “Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray. What Dorian Gray’s sins are no one knows. He who finds them has brought them.”
That single statement explains the book. The real sins Dorian commits over the years are left vague on purpose; the sins we see in Dorian are the sins we ourselves possess. And because of that reflection, we hate him. We hate him for giving into those sins, for putting to words and actions the feelings we have. He shows us all of the wickedness and depravity we have ever imagined committing, and we hate him for it. That was why I felt such frustration: I, like countless readers before me, had wanted everything to work out for Dorian because that meant it could work out for me. That is what makes Dorian so repulsive, yet so compelling. He is the figure of admiration that we aspire to, even as he is the monster we have nightmares of becoming. Dorian Gray is somehow both the best of us and the worst of us, and none of us can forgive him for it.
Even as morbid as this book is, I am glad I read it. Some books you have to read to properly understand what horrifying places humanity can slip to, and how terrifyingly easy it is to find yourself there.
Thank you, Oscar Wilde. We needed your book.
Ratings: Book Rating: ★★★★★ If This Book Was a Movie Rating: R
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Really, if that’s the whole review, I think that would sum it up perfectly. In this book, there are no depressingly dark tragedies this book was FUN.
Really, if that’s the whole review, I think that would sum it up perfectly. In this book, there are no depressingly dark tragedies or over-the-top stakes; it is slapstick humor and romantic parodies and twisted tropes, and I had an absolute BLAST reading it.
alight let me give you the author’s summary (because what better way to understand the writing style (also I don’t want to write the summary sue me))
"ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.
With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.
But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.
Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.
I’ve been in a reading slump for months, and this was the perfect thing to take me out of it <3
let me begin with the ✨plot✨
So as you might’ve picked up from the writing style of that blurb, this is a book that refuses to take itself seriously. It takes every bad guy/villain trope (and all the weird romance tropes that go along with them) and turns them on their head.
Allow me to provide an example: in one scene, there’s a huge thunderstorm that prevents Evie and the other staff at The Villain's office/castle from being able to leave. As the personal assistant to the villain, Evie’s the de facto head of all castle logistics, so she’s the one who organizes all the temporary sleeping arrangements, extra beds for the interns, and whatnot. After all that’s done, Evie goes back to her desk to do more work.
Now, if this was a traditional romance book, the only-one-bed-left-oh-you’re-going-to-share-with-the-boss trope would likely make an appearance here. However, since this book is anything but a traditional romance book, instead one of Evie’s coworkers, the healer Tatianna, shows up with several bottles of wine and Evie, The Villain, and several of Evie’s favorite coworkers (Tatianna, Blade, and Becky) have a night of jokes and bonding. It’s a total found family moment, and honestly it gave life and dimension to the characters beyond what a forced-in trope would have done.
Now, that’s not to say there’s no tropes present in this book (this is still a romance, after all) There’s boss/employee, villain/heroine, guy-falls-first, secret mutual pining, found family, dual pov, grumpy and sunshine, if-you-hurt-her-i-will-kill-you, two people in a too small space, romantic dance, and a truly excellent who-did-this-to-you moment. I loved the plot, and I loved how the author both used and subverted tropes in order to bring it all together.
now, on to the ✨characters✨
Evie Sage This girl is literally such a gem omigosh. She’s smart, witty, has self-awareness (let’s be so for real here how many times have we had a self-aware FMC in romantasy ...more
GUYS IT'S A NEW HOLLY JACKSON BOOK I AM NOT OKAY i am so unbelievably down for Hollywood and secrets and family drama HERE IS MY CASH THANK YOU GUYS IT'S A NEW HOLLY JACKSON BOOK I AM NOT OKAY i am so unbelievably down for Hollywood and secrets and family drama HERE IS MY CASH THANK YOU ...more
I AM IRREVOCABLY IN LOVE WITH THE BELLADONA SERIES MORE PLEASE MA'AM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WRITE <3I AM IRREVOCABLY IN LOVE WITH THE BELLADONA SERIES MORE PLEASE MA'AM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WRITE <3...more