Classics Vlog #1: The Picture of Dorian Gray 🎨💀 | The Book Castle | 2022

[@elisazouza]

I’m currently reading this and it keeps hanging me on with every page!

[@whitneyblomquist2110]

I loved how you reviewed this classic. It was so interesting and I loved the different points you made as well as your explanations. I am very much looking forward to your upcoming classics reviews throughout the rest of the year! (Long time subscriber, first time commenting!💗) Now I really want to pick up Emma!

[@TheBookCastle]

Yay, I'm glad you liked it! :D And thank you for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it! :D

[@michelleelford]

I love this book and have been wanting to reread it. I think you should check out Wilde's play The Importance of being Earnest. It's so good and funny!

[@TheBookCastle]

Oooh, I'll check it out, thank you!

[@elizabethb.3932]

I like the special rating system!

[@TheBookCastle]

Yay, glad to hear it! :D

[@NerdyKathi]

I recently re-read Dorian Gray and really enjoyed hearing how you found it. It is a great character study, and I think also a reaction to the strict morality of the Victorian era. Wilde was a very talented writer, and if you haven't read it, you might also want to try The Importance of Being Earnest, which is very funny.

[@glendaw5221]

Gosh I just loved this. You remind me of my daughter who will sometimes “tell me a story” that she has read or seen on tv/theatre.

[@TheBookCastle]

Aaah, thank you so much! :D

[@Caroulinas]

If and when you've read Dorian Grey, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dracula, I recommend you watch the tv show Penny Dreadful. The story is loosely based on all those stories (and more) and it's very good!

[@TheBookCastle]

Oooh, excellent suggestion! I've read all of them now, so I'll have to watch it! :D

[@wondroushaze]

Now I feel like I have to reread Dorian Gray because I read this about 10 years ago and I only remember bits and pieces and recently discovered I only gave it 3 stars when in fact this book has stayed in my mind for 10 years! I also remember making a movie for a Uni project from one of the scenes 😂 but I don’t know which one! I think the one where he realizes the painting reflects his sins? Idk 😅 have fun reading Emma!

[@TheBookCastle]

That's so interesting! :D

[@juditkovacse]

Yay! Glad you liked Dorian Gray, it's one of my favorite classics. And hey maybe I will finally continue with Austen lol.

[@TheBookCastle]

Yay :D

[@mrsbaratheon]

Oooh this vlog makes me want to reread it so bad!!

[@TheBookCastle]

:D

[@nola3963]

Yay 😍 I am so excited to hear your thoughts on Emma!! I wish I could experience the joy of reading it for the first time again 😭💕.

[@TheBookCastle]

I'm excited to read it! :D

[@hebe5351]

Whooow, this was meant to be! I finished reading 'the picture of Dorian Gray' last friday and wished I could hear other peoples opinions about it, and today you post this video, loved it! So excited that you'll be reviewing more classics. I will for sure read along!

[@TheBookCastle]

Amazing! :D

[@ruthlounsbury4024]

To add this exportation of the book it would be nice for you to see the movie version. Yes it's old but pretty good.

[@TheBookCastle]

Good idea! :D

[@anniegravel2383]

I really enjoyed this vlog 😊. The book was already on my tbr, now I want to read it even more!

[@TheBookCastle]

Awesome, thank you! :D

[@maslina4567]

So glad you enjoyed Dorian Grey! As you say it is clever and interesting. I love the descriptions but am a sucker for floweriness. I believe you will enjoy Emma at least as much. It's a beautiful masterpiece.

[@TheBookCastle]

Exactly! I'm sure I'll really like Emma too! :D

[@mathequation8544]

Yay! Your first classics corner (hopefully of many!). I agree w/ your points on TPODG. The writing is so lovely & explores our obsession with youth in such a clever way. The writing is 5 stars for me & 4.5 stars overall, due to pacing as well! I’ve read Emma before & loved it! Emma herself is witty & wonderfully well meaning (although spoiled and somewhat selfish!) - I hope you enjoy it and I am excited for your thoughts. Also: I think I want to read Hamnet!

[@TheBookCastle]

Glad you're excited! :D And I'm glad you liked Emma

[@evamarie1537]

Thanks for the vlog. It was interesting. I read the novel many years ago and liked it a lot. I thought that the painter was a bit mysterious and that I thought it made sense that the painting wasn`t an ordinary painting. But now I`m not sure anymore. I recently read Emma and loved it. I look forward to your vlog about it.

[@TheBookCastle]

I'm glad you liked it! :D

[@Ninaofthe90s]

My favorite novel ever! I love Oscar Wilde's writing.

[@TheBookCastle]

It's so good! :D

[@tiffanycorsello1886]

Loved your first Classics Vlog! Really enjoyed the format. I'm behind here in watching this, because I wanted to finish reading. Oh man, Alice- I only got halfway thru! Ack! I didn't like it. I feel pretty much like what you said other negative reviewers said. There was a big portion of drag in the middle (that's where I dropped out), and I can't say that I didn't like the characters because I didn't really get to know them. And that bothered me, I felt no emotional attachment. I had no expectations going in, so I guess I'm not disappointed. It just wasn't my thing. But I WANTED to like it- I always want to like what I'm reading. I'll tell what I DID LIKE- The Secret History! It was GREAT. Finished that right before starting Dorian Gray- and maybe that was part of the problem: I went from fantastically engaging to just...meh. And I just couldn't force myself...

[@TheBookCastle]

Thank you! :D You know what, I totally get not making your way through the whole thing, that middle part is a real slog. And I agree with the emotional attachment thing, I didn't feel that either. And I mean, any book that comes after The Secret History is not going to do well haha! xD

[@dkp5176]

Enjoyed your review. I had very similar ratings in your respective categories. That chapter on all his obsessions (music, art, embroidery…) WAS a slog! I thought it was a powerful depiction of human depravity and the corruption of selfishness. His writing is beautiful.

[@TheBookCastle]

I'm glad you liked it! :D And yeees, the writing is so pretty

[@lindacasalgrandi292]

Great video Alice! I read it years ago and didn’t like it but thanks to you…I think it deserves a re-read ;)

[@TheBookCastle]

I'm glad you liked the video! :D

[@Angela41541]

i think i've read somewhere that the book as oscar wilde had written it originally was different. like I'm pretty sure that middle part that dragged wasn't there originally. the book was censored at some point [cause it was more gay, you know, and that was a no-no] and oscar had to take a huge chunk of it out and sort of re-write the middle for it to still make sense and that's why the middle is the way it is. I'm also quite positive that it was republished recently cause I've seen "the uncensored picture of dorian gray" in some ship online. i remember I wanted to buy it but it's a very limited edition so it was a bit too expensive for me. but I also think it's possible to find those chapters online because it should be in the public domain since it's old now so if you're curious that might be an interesting read

[@TheBookCastle]

Aaaah, that would make a lot of sense! I'll have to see if I can find the original, I bet it's way better :D Thanks for mentioning it!

[@Angela41541]

@@TheBookCastle the history of this book is quite interesting :)

[@dr.suezettealoysiaandcarla1664]

2 weeks seem like forever 🤩🕯 Happy Bookish Saturday Beautiful ✌🏽

[@elize3137]

Now I want to read Emma even though I said I wouldn't read any more Austen's books. 😅 I liked Dorian Gray too, and I love the intro and how you wrote quotes as you read, the aesthetic is on point! (I had to mention it, I'm a sucker for it lol)

[@TheBookCastle]

Thank yoooou! :D

[@ririschannelx]

Omg you have a tattoo 👀 do you mind sharing what it is? And I love your glasses 🤓

[@TheBookCastle]

I have several! :D Most of them are flowers :) And thank you!

[@Read-Dee]

Speaking of goldfish memories: I read this the summer of 2020, and remember enjoying it, but probably couldn't have told you anything beyond the run of the mill synopsis of "man has picture in the attic that ages instead of him" 😅 It's been even longer since I read Emma, probably ten years or so, so I'm curious to see if I remember any of that (although I did watch the movie adaptation with Anya Taylor-Joy relatively recently).

[@TheBookCastle]

Ahahaha, glad it's not just me xD

[@jameswalker6864]

You have a BEATIFUL voice.

[@secretbookcase3082]

I love reading gothic fiction and therefore really enjoyed The Picture of Dorian Gray as well. I liked the story and the philosophical musings on morality, beauty and art. One thing I I really disliked though was the deeply misogynistic views put forward by Lord Henry throughout the book.

[@TheBookCastle]

Oh gosh, yes, Lord Henry is literally the worst xD