The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m

Emily's Quest - Lucy Maud Montgomery

Emily's Quest by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction/Classic

Blurb (on back of book): Emily knows she's going to be a great writer. She also knows that she and her childhood sweetheart, Teddy Kent, will conquer the world together. But when Teddy leaves home to pursue his goal to become an artist at the School of Design in Montreal, Emily's world collapses. With Teddy gone, Emily agrees to marry a man she doesn't love... as she tries to banish all thoughts of Teddy. In her heart, Emily must search for what being a writer really means.

MY OPINION: *****

This is the third and last book of the Emily series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This is also the most depressing in my opinion.

Yes, the ending is happy, but I really do not think that Emily deserved all of that sad stuff.

SPOILER ALERT

Emily is forced to marry Dean Priest. He is so old, and he is also not the perfect match for her. She is not in love with him, but he is a dear friend to her.

Emily also falls down the stairs and gets a blood infection because of Dean! He criticizes her story (and lies about it), and she ends up in an accident. After she gets better, she agrees to marry him!

Teddy and Ilse also leave, and she is left alone. Teddy doesn't love her, or so she thinks, and he ends up marrying Ilse, before she jilts him at the altar. Then she ends up with Perry, leaving Emily and Teddy alone.

But even though all of this happens, I hate how Emily has to experience so many problems before she has her happy ending. Of course, this book was really good, like all the others. It also was a good finale, but I felt as if the others were more cheerful.

Emily is still a writer (like me!) in this book, and you can tell that she will one day be successful. I like how there are many excerpts of her "diary".

One thing that I enjoyed was Lucy Maud Montgomery putting parts of her life into this series. I have read many biographies on Montgomery, and I have seen many things that are similar or exact to parts of the books she writes. If you notice any of these, please comment below!

Overall, this book was still amazing. It is definitely a top favorite of mine. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading classics, and to middle-schoolers, and young adult readers.

Main Character: Emily Byrd Starr
Sidekick(s): Teddy Kent, Ilse Burnley, Perry Miller, Dean Priest
Villain(s): Mrs. Kent (at a point), misunderstanding, pride
Realistic Fiction/Classic Elements: All of this could happen in real life. This book features old English, and is written in an older style.

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