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...
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Macbeth - William Shakespeare

Image result for macbeth folgers"Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Genre: Fantasy Play

Blurb (on back of book): One night on the heath, the brave and respected general Macbeth encounters three witches who foretell that he will become king of Scotland. At first sceptical, he’s urged on by the ruthless, single-minded ambitions of Lady Macbeth, who suffers none of her husband’s doubt. But seeing the prophecy through to the bloody end leads them both spiralling into paranoia, tyranny, madness, and murder.
This shocking tragedy - a violent caution to those seeking power for its own sake - is, to this day, one of Shakespeare’s most popular and influential masterpieces.

MY OPINION: ***

I read this book for school and I must say, I don't really understand the hype over Shakespeare. Of course, he's a great writer but overall, I don't see the phenomenal love for him. Macbeth felt the same as the rest of his work. There wasn't anything unique.

Since I read this in English, of course we analyzed themes and characters and motivations.

Paradoxes. These just felt very random and I don't like the theme of it, especially because they were quite hard to find right off the bat.

Witches and superstitions. This was slightly more interesting, mainly because the witches were unique, but they also felt quite random. I do understand the historical importance of them, as this was during the time of the reign of King James I of England/King James VI of Scotland, and he was very paranoid about witch hunts of his time. Of course, Shakespeare had to please the monarch if he wanted to get paid, but again, I didn't quite like it.

Excessive desire for power. Yes, Macbeth goes a little crazy but honestly, I can't really blame him. Imagine being told by some very creepy witches that you're going to be king. Of course, this doesn't justify his mass murders but he went a little haywire which is understandable.

Macbeth's character annoyed me. He epitomized the tragic hero but there was something about him that didn't sit well with me. It wasn't even his bloodlust; in fact, I think it was just the way that he thought about things. His paranoid self just... irritated me.

Lady Macbeth was cruel and cunning but honestly, she was a queen. Like, I really felt her strength and determination, even though it eventually caught up to her. She was truly messed up in the brain sometimes but she was still... amazing at times. Mostly in her strength and stoicism though.

I liked Fleance and I really wanted him to come back. But he didn't. HE DIDNT EVEN SPEAK.

The plot of this play was not the most interesting. It traveled around a lot, but the one good thing about it was that it was NOT confusing, which is a first for Shakespeare. I understood everything and felt with the characters.

I would recommend this book to readers looking for a classic, Shakespeare tragedy.

Main Character: Macbeth
Sidekick(s): Lady Macbeth, etc
Villain(s): Death, murder, etc
Fantasy Elements: This book had many fanatic elements.

*sorry for such a poorly written review; I have SOO much homework and I'm not really focusing on this*

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