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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Either/Or - Elif Batuman

Either/Or by Elif Batuman
Genre: Literary Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): From the acclaimed and bestselling author of The Idiot, the continuation of beloved protagonist Selin's quest for self-knowledge, as she travels abroad and tests the limits of her newfound adulthood.
Selin is the luckiest person in her family: the only one who was born in America and got to go to Harvard. Now it's sophomore year, 1996, and Selin knows she has to make it count. The first order of business: to figure out the meaning of everything that happened over the summer. Why did Selin's elusive crush, Ivan, find her that job in the Hungarian countryside? What was up with all those other people in the Hungarian countryside? Why is Ivan's weird ex-girlfriend now trying to get in touch with Selin? On the plus side, it feels like the plot of an exciting novel. On the other hand, why do so many novels have crazy abandoned women in them? How does one live a life as interesting as a novel--a life worthy of becoming a novel--without becoming a crazy abandoned woman oneself?
Guided by her literature syllabus and by her more worldly and confident peers, Selin reaches certain conclusions about the universal importance of parties, alcohol, and sex, and resolves to execute them in practice--no matter what the cost. Next on the list: international travel.
Unfolding with the propulsive logic and intensity of youth, Either/Or is a landmark novel by one of our most brilliant writers. Hilarious, revelatory, and unforgettable, its gripping narrative will confront you with searching questions that persist long after the last page.

MY OPINION: ****

Please. I just wrote an entire review and it deleted. 

I didn’t know this was the second book to Batuman’s The Idiot so it was a pleasant surprise to hear Selin’s and Ivan’s familiar names again. This book follows Selin’s sophomore year at Harvard which coincidentally resonated with me as a college sophomore (not at Harvard) reading this. 

I think this book lacked the luster and charm of the first book but I don’t think it was necessarily bad. I still rated it a four stars but just know that this four stars is a lower four stars than the first book’s four stars. I definitely would recommend this book if you even marginally enjoyed the first one and especially if you were a fan of the relationships and romance undercurrent. 

It focused a lot more on Selin’s sexual awakening and love life rather than on her academic experiences and character development. I think it makes sense in the context but I wasn’t a fan of Ivan in the first book so I also wasn’t a fan of him in this one. There were also what felt like a hundred new characters introduced but. one of them really stood out to me (point: I can’t remember a single one of their names). 

I would say that the book is more straight forward in its prose and lacks the stream of consciousness dribble that we got in the first book. If you weren’t a fan of that style, this one is definitely for you. 

It’s disappointing that there doesn’t seem to be any more to this series. Ending it in sophomore year is a choice and not what I would hope for. I would love to see an exploration of Selin’s character after achieving full adulthood and womanhood but I don’t think this will happen any time soon.

Main Character: Selin
Sidekick(s): Ivan

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