[Recs]: Picture of Dorian Gray, the fanfiction
Since dracomaleficium asked me to do this, I went through my bookmarked Picture of Dorian Gray fanfics, trying to comment on them as objectively as I only can... Which is definitely more objective than me reccing Hamlet fanfiction. But still biased as hell - which is why there's hardly any Basil/Dorian/Basil on the list... Oh, well. Without further delay:
From FanFiction.net:
The Ruining of Adrian Singleton - worth mentioning, if only for the fact it deals with someone other than Dorian, Basil or Harry... And isn't a straightforward slash. Can't really label it predictable (everyone who read the book knows about poor Adrian) but the plot's believable enough.
In His Art - a drabble from Henry's POV... And probably the most in-character renderation of said character I've come across. Also, in spite of few words, it presents a neat outline of Henry-Basil dynamics.
And So We Die - same author, another drabble; this time with an ending so abrupt that I wonder whether something didn't drown in the coding... Or maybe that's on purpose (although I can't forgive the author for commiting THE typo, aka. angles instead of angels)? Other than that, it's another bit in Harry's POV and he can really be seen through the words - somewhat wistful, yet loquacious as always, and forever analysing. Good read, even with the sudden stop.
Morality has Nothing to do with It - here there'll be sex (of the Harry/Dorian variety); the author's way of writing the scene itself is not really to my liking, a bit too cliched... But it's still the best high-rated Dorian Gray fic I've read. Harry is... A little off at several points, I suppose? But when he trolls, he trolls.
The Devil with the Porcelain Face - hey, it's a Dorian/Alan story! Not really happy about the pacing (as far as I remember, they were friends for a longer period of time before the mysterious 'break-up'), yet I find Alan's characterization very good - a man of science suddenly caught in the delicate palm of the devil, still having moral objections but succumbing to the readily-offered pleasure. As little as we see of Alan, he seems pretty much in character to me. And yeah, I'm one of those people who believe the mysterious note Dorian warned Alan with dealt with an affair between the two of them (Dorian would easily whitewash himself from the whole thing).
From Archive of Our Own:
Corruption - Henry/Dorian/Henry through the eyes of the unhappy painter; sprinkled with one-sided Harry/Basil which is the main motive that makes reading it worthwhile. The other story twist is... I'd say a good touch but somewhat poorly executed? I don't know myself, there's just something missing. But a good fanfiction all the same.
Unmourned - a rather curious take on Lord Henry, even though for me it goes a little over the scale at one or two points; still, the language is fine and the line of reasoning sound.
From Yuletide archives:
Dying Adonis - Basil/Dorian/Basil is not interesting to me by default but this one is a real gem of writing skill; rich imagery, dream-like narrative and that subtle hint of lust growing more pronounced as the story flows but never bursting out in full flame. Also, it's a pre-Henry story, so beware of adorable Dorian.
Yellow Satin - languid and slow-paced to the point I had trouble focusing (though it might be just my problem, I have trouble sleeping); the language flows nicely and the last sequence is really worth going through the whole story. Once again, it's a pre-Henry fic, so Dorian is more than adorable.
In all archives (except Yuletide) there are naturally more works than that, I listed only those that piqued my attention one way or another. I didn't check the rarelitslash fully, so there might be some fics there as well. Also, if you want me to rec fics of any other fandom, feel free to poke me - if it happens to be up my alley, I'll see what I can do.
From FanFiction.net:
The Ruining of Adrian Singleton - worth mentioning, if only for the fact it deals with someone other than Dorian, Basil or Harry... And isn't a straightforward slash. Can't really label it predictable (everyone who read the book knows about poor Adrian) but the plot's believable enough.
In His Art - a drabble from Henry's POV... And probably the most in-character renderation of said character I've come across. Also, in spite of few words, it presents a neat outline of Henry-Basil dynamics.
And So We Die - same author, another drabble; this time with an ending so abrupt that I wonder whether something didn't drown in the coding... Or maybe that's on purpose (although I can't forgive the author for commiting THE typo, aka. angles instead of angels)? Other than that, it's another bit in Harry's POV and he can really be seen through the words - somewhat wistful, yet loquacious as always, and forever analysing. Good read, even with the sudden stop.
Morality has Nothing to do with It - here there'll be sex (of the Harry/Dorian variety); the author's way of writing the scene itself is not really to my liking, a bit too cliched... But it's still the best high-rated Dorian Gray fic I've read. Harry is... A little off at several points, I suppose? But when he trolls, he trolls.
The Devil with the Porcelain Face - hey, it's a Dorian/Alan story! Not really happy about the pacing (as far as I remember, they were friends for a longer period of time before the mysterious 'break-up'), yet I find Alan's characterization very good - a man of science suddenly caught in the delicate palm of the devil, still having moral objections but succumbing to the readily-offered pleasure. As little as we see of Alan, he seems pretty much in character to me. And yeah, I'm one of those people who believe the mysterious note Dorian warned Alan with dealt with an affair between the two of them (Dorian would easily whitewash himself from the whole thing).
From Archive of Our Own:
Corruption - Henry/Dorian/Henry through the eyes of the unhappy painter; sprinkled with one-sided Harry/Basil which is the main motive that makes reading it worthwhile. The other story twist is... I'd say a good touch but somewhat poorly executed? I don't know myself, there's just something missing. But a good fanfiction all the same.
Unmourned - a rather curious take on Lord Henry, even though for me it goes a little over the scale at one or two points; still, the language is fine and the line of reasoning sound.
From Yuletide archives:
Dying Adonis - Basil/Dorian/Basil is not interesting to me by default but this one is a real gem of writing skill; rich imagery, dream-like narrative and that subtle hint of lust growing more pronounced as the story flows but never bursting out in full flame. Also, it's a pre-Henry story, so beware of adorable Dorian.
Yellow Satin - languid and slow-paced to the point I had trouble focusing (though it might be just my problem, I have trouble sleeping); the language flows nicely and the last sequence is really worth going through the whole story. Once again, it's a pre-Henry fic, so Dorian is more than adorable.
In all archives (except Yuletide) there are naturally more works than that, I listed only those that piqued my attention one way or another. I didn't check the rarelitslash fully, so there might be some fics there as well. Also, if you want me to rec fics of any other fandom, feel free to poke me - if it happens to be up my alley, I'll see what I can do.