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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The Saga of Tristram and Isönd - Friar Robert

The Saga of Tristram and Isönd by Friar Robert
Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): **No blurb given** 

MY OPINION: ****

**Super short review for this "book"**

Given the scant amount of ratings and reviews for this saga, this is clearly not the most popular work out there. I read this for my college class on Scandinavian sagas from the medieval era and added this one to my Goodreads repertoire because of how long it was (it was basically a short novella). We've read plenty of others but those have been a lot shorter so I didn't add them here. 

This saga was very interesting. As it's translated, some of the words and meanings most likely got lost in translation. However, I thought the premise of the story itself very intriguing. I'm honestly not sure how this version differs from the original version, as the original story was told in verse format and was much longer. Clearly, a lot was cut out and changed but I think this final product still managed to get the point across. 

This is a clear and famous example of a knight's saga. It follows Tristram, a brave and daring knight, and his romance with Isönd, a princess. Despite the time period, the story felt very modernized in that it wasn't chock-full of stereotypes and basic tropes. The female characters had voices of their own and strayed away from the damsel-in-distress stereotype, which I enjoyed reading about. Tristram, despite being the bravest, wisest, handsomest man ever (as all these knights are), had his own set of flaws that characterized him as more human and realistic. 

I'm sure I would never have thought to read this saga if I hadn't taken the class I'm currently in. I would definitely recommend it to people who love medieval stories, the King Arthur genre, and illustrious romances and adventures. 

Main Character: Tristram, Isönd
Sidekick(s): Friends, etc
Villain(s): Other knights, dragon, mythical creatures, misunderstandings, etc
Medieval Historical Fiction: This saga was created and set in the medieval era.

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