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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Lie With Me - Philippe Besson

Lie With Me by Philippe Besson (Molly Ringwald, Translator)
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): The award-winning, bestselling French novel by Philippe Besson about an affair between two teenage boys in 1984 France, translated with subtle beauty and haunting lyricism by the iconic and internationally acclaimed actress/writer Molly Ringwald.
We drive at high speed along back roads, through woods, vineyards, and oat fields. The bike smells like gasoline and makes a lot of noise, and sometimes I’m frightened when the wheels slip on the gravel on the dirt road, but the only thing that matters is that I’m holding on to him, that I’m holding on to him outside.
Just outside a hotel in Bordeaux, Philippe chances upon a young man who bears a striking resemblance to his first love. What follows is a look back at the relationship he’s never forgotten, a hidden affair with a gorgeous boy named Thomas during their last year of high school. Without ever acknowledging they know each other in the halls, they steal time to meet in secret, carrying on a passionate, world-altering affair.
Dazzlingly rendered in English by Ringwald in her first-ever translation, Besson’s powerfully moving coming-of-age story captures the eroticism and tenderness of first love—and the heartbreaking passage of time.

MY OPINION: ****

To start the new year off, I've been trying to read shorter books just so I can get ahead of my reading goal and feel proud of what I've gotten through. I ended up choosing this one because I'd heard great things about it and I'm also trying to branch out into translated fiction and international works more. 

This is a translated French novel detailing the affair between two boys. It's told from the perspective of Philippe, one of the boys, in his adulthood as he reminisces on his first love. It's a very sweet and tender story and it's full of complexity and underlying layers that emphasize the difficulties and internalized homophobia marring the relationship between the two.

This is everything André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name thought it was. I was not a hater of that book by any means and I actually especially love that movie but there were parts of it that fell flat or were a little weird (and very criticized) that this book managed to patch up.

Even though it was a super short novel, it managed to put so much in the story that you were left feeling melancholic and emotional by the end. I wasn't expecting to feel so sad while reading the book, especially after the ending. It's definitely a very realistic novel and it's by no means a happy go lucky, positivity-inducing novel.

I would have loved to see more of Thomas's perspective because I honestly think he was the more complex character of the two boys. He deserved being more developed and explored because all we got of him was the skewed image that Philippe remembered of their times together and we don't really get enough of his full character, even towards the end.

While it can be a little predictable and melodramatic at times, I think the prose manages to come across as poignant and tender in a way that is representative of the actual story that's being told. I definitely enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it to anyone looking for a shorter, beautiful love story. 

Main Character: Philippe
Sidekick(s): Thomas, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstandings, internalized homophobia, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book is all very real to life.

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