Goodreads | The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Short Stories

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Basic Work for any reader	1	26	01/27/2008 12:07PM

Scoobs rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

07/21/08

Oh Dorian. Oh Dorian.

When I first read this book in the fruitless years of my youth I was excited, overwhelmed and a blank slate (as Dorian is, upon his first encounter with Lord Henry) easily molded, persuaded, influenced, etc.

Certain Wildisms (Wildeisms?) would take my breath away. Would become my mottos to believe in. To follow. To live.

Lines like:

"It is silly of you, for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked abou...more

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Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

06/30/08

bookshelves: strand-80

Read in June, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde paints the perfect picture of a vanity-obsessed man who becomes his own worst enemy and the cause of his own despair. Having previously read Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and with knowledge of the general plot line, I expected a repitition of trite dialogue, laden with puns (particularly after reading the opening chapter). However, the story unraveled full of suspense and mystery, with a true form follows function structure, as Wilde's poetic synta...more

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Trevor rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

03/23/08

This is another of those books I’ve been meaning to read for ages and kept putting off. Although I’ve a particularly good reason for putting this one off, as a very good friend of mine, who died a couple of years ago, spoke to me about this book and I was worried that might make it hard to read for quite other reasons.

He said that when he read this book as a young man it made him certain that he was not homosexual. Now, that in itself was enough to make me curious about the book. This...more This is another of those books I’ve been meaning to read for ages and kept putting off. Although I’ve a particularly good reason for putting this one off, as a very good friend of mine, who died a couple of years ago, spoke to me about this book and I was worried that might make it hard to read for quite other reasons.

He said that when he read this book as a young man it made him certain that he was not homosexual. Now, that in itself was enough to make me curious about the book. This is a book that could only have been written by a homosexual male and it is a book about homosexuality in very many ways. The obsession with youth and beauty is almost a cliché of homosexual obsessions – though the ‘dandy’, the vanity of men, is much more common now, I think. We are increasingly a culture obsessed with appearance. I wonder if reading the book and seeing this obsession was the thing that convinced my friend he was not homosexual, if that was the thing that made him say, ‘no, that’s not me’. Or rather if it was the expression of desire very early in the book for Dorian Gray by Basil, his painter and ardent admirer, that convinced him.

Lord Harry is one of those talking desk calendars, in fact, other than Hamlet, I think it would be hard to find a book with more quotable quotes per page. Some of them are deliciously funny and others are just the sort of illumination that a match struck in a dark room makes.

There were moments in this book, as there are in other works by Wilde, when one gets a feeling of premonition of his fate – it is hard to think of a sadder story than that of the last years of his life, or one that makes more plain how incredibly stupid are societies that punish people for their sexuality. There would be very little I could not forgive Wilde for, particularly after he wrote The Importance of Being Earnest – this book, his only novel, is nearly as good.

Our sins are not quite displayed as clearly on our faces as is assumed here, but our lives do mark us – it is a pity that in our obsession with youth that we forget how beautiful our scars can be and that love, real love, the love that touches us most deeply, is when another accepts our scars and loves us for them, rather than in spite of them.

One of the most quotable quotes in this book is an attack on realism in fiction – “That is the reason I hate vulgar realism in literature. The man who could call a spade a spade should be compelled to use one. It is the only thing he is fit for.” I understand this is hardly a ‘realistic’ story – I mean, it is really a myth and takes liberties with ‘reality’ so as to comment on the world through the form of a myth – but like all such stories centred on something that is clearly ‘over-the-top’ it is contained in a shell that struck me as remarkably realistic. There was no time when I felt Wilde was calling a spade an implement for cultivation or some such silly phrase. His writing is always clear and to the point. The most ‘flowery’ language is perhaps when he is describing the perfumes Gray becomes fascinated in and seeks to understand ‘what there was in frankincense that made one mystical, and in ambergris that stirred one’s passions’, but even this is hardly as romantic or less real than TS Eliot’s (that most ‘modern’ of writers) “In vails of ivory and coloured glass / Unstoppered, lurked her strange synthetic perfumes,” Even at his most flowery, Wilde is hardly ‘unrealistic’.

I came to this book expecting it to be much ‘sillier’ than it turned out to be. I’ve no idea why I thought this – perhaps because I knew that the central idea of the book was that a man has an odd relationship with a painting in that he stays young while the painting gets old. But the book wasn’t nearly as silly as I thought it would be. I really did enjoy it.
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Nurkastelia rated it:

(review of isbn 014043187X)

08/05/07

bookshelves: must-read

recommends it for: eveyone!!

What more can be said about The Picture of Dorian Gray than the fact it is a marvelous book? Although this is the only novel Oscar Wilde had ever written, I think by far this is one of the finest and most enchanting classic novels there are. I was completely in awe after reading it the first time and still too in awe to even start a review now.

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with an unusual look of a man –from another man’s eyes (Basil Hallward). I’ve never thought homosexual issues ...more What more can be said about The Picture of Dorian Gray than the fact it is a marvelous book? Although this is the only novel Oscar Wilde had ever written, I think by far this is one of the finest and most enchanting classic novels there are. I was completely in awe after reading it the first time and still too in awe to even start a review now.

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with an unusual look of a man –from another man’s eyes (Basil Hallward). I’ve never thought homosexual issues could be let out so openly into the world like how Oscar Wilde let it out. The fighting over Dorian between Basil and Lord Henry, Basil’s marks about Gray, and even the words of the story which are edited and put into the endnotes. All were shockingly wonderful. Also related to the endnotes, we can see that Wilde was a man of much knowledge. He retracted and inserted other people’s intellectual works in the book. What’s more is that I think the ingenious mind of Oscar Wilde is really reflected on the character of Lord Henry though he pictured Lord Henry as someone as empty as a barrel.

If a song once said, “if a picture paints a thousand words then why can’t I paint you? The words could never show the you I’ve come to know,” this really does not count the book along. Why? Because as we can read, Dorian Gray’s picture, literally, gives out millions and millions of words about him. The first day Basil paints it, the first day Gray brings it home, the first day people take their glances at it; it speaks to them as if it has a mouth telling them how great of a creature Dorian Gray is. At that time, there is no single person that would not call him ‘Prince charming’ since his self-portrait was so beautifully enchanting.

As time goes by, the first-innocent mind of Gray is inflected by Lord Henry’s views towards life –towards beauty. He said that beauty is the only thing that matters, and Gray eventually agrees with it and realizes that the portrait will live forever, and retain its beauty while he himself is left to age. This is the turning point of the story, the part when we realize that wishes are stronger than life. So Dorian Gray wishes to trade his soul for everlasting youth, and to always retain his beauty, just like the portrait. Of course, when there’s an action, there will always be a reaction. Every time Dorian Gray commits a sin, the picture miraculously adjusts itself with the evil side of Dorian Gray.

As much as other things in the story are intriguing, the most fascinating part is how Wilde used ‘beauty’ as something harmful. Something so corrupting that a person would kill another, another, and yet another human being, before finally Dorian Gray tries to kill his picture, his guilt –his conscience, resulting in killing himself. Astonishingly enough, when Dorian dies, the painting, as if released from all the sins it bears, returns back to the old self just like when it was first shown to Dorian; painfully beautiful.
One thing that captures my mind is that Oscar Wilde had thoughts ahead of his time, and not afraid to show it either. In real life, he was charged with gross indecency as early as 1895. His works make fun of the hypocrisy of the society, damn the moralities. In short, he was leading quite a controversial life.

Nevertheless, however controversial he is, he obviously concerned deeply about life itself. That is why this particular novel offers some kind of a wake-up call to the readers…narcissist readers, that is. So if you are one, and want to be saved not by lectures…take a walk on the Wilde side, let this fantasy story take your breath away, and may morality save you from constant debauchery.
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Patricia rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

05/03/08

bookshelves: classics

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Patricia by: my husband said it was one of his favorites
recommends it for: people who like psychological thrillers and are willing to give this classic a chance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

It is four fifteen in the morning and I have finally finished Dorian Gray. It has been on my currently-reading-list for about nine months. I started it several times and the furthest I got was to page 20. One challenge was that I was unfamiliar with Oscar Wilde's writing style. When reading from an author who is new to me, it takes me a couple chapters to get comfortable.

I started the book again last month and finally felt comfortable with the language. Even still I had a difficult time gett...more It is four fifteen in the morning and I have finally finished Dorian Gray. It has been on my currently-reading-list for about nine months. I started it several times and the furthest I got was to page 20. One challenge was that I was unfamiliar with Oscar Wilde's writing style. When reading from an author who is new to me, it takes me a couple chapters to get comfortable.

I started the book again last month and finally felt comfortable with the language. Even still I had a difficult time getting into it. Then yesterday I got half way through it... and I couldn't put it down.

Initially I felt that the plot was stagnate. I felt like Dorian Gray's fall from grace was down an abyss that might be bottomless. I felt like maybe the book would be a never ending list of sins that continued till the last page.

Half way through the book I realized that the plot was not stagnate. It was subtly changing from focusing on experimentation and sin to one of regret. Only when the focus had shifted could the climax be appreciated. If the ending had come sooner than it would have been meaningless. Wilde carefully constructs Dorian's deterioration subtly to reach a powerful and perfectly suited climax.

That being said, I think that Dorian's main problems were first, that he didn't think that change for the better was possible. He decided quite early on that he was a lost cause. And secondly, I don't think he ever felt the reality of what he did. He felt regret but it was for the ugliness of his soul. He never felt responsibility for his actions, in the end he blamed the painting.

I thought that the premise was genious. How in the world did Wilde come up with the idea that one could seperate their soul from their body in such a way?

The premise is so unique that it was shocking. The language is beautiful. The two characters of Basil and Harry are prefectly juxtaposed. One friend represents good and the other evil. Becuase Dorian chooses evil it helps the reader to have Basil in the story. His goodness gives the reader a measuring stick with which one can see how far Dorian has decended. It provides an amazing study on the psychology of sin. In many ways it reminded me of crime and punishment. The idea that spiritual death can be more devestating than physical death is something that I have was taught as a child and believe as an adult.

I believe that our experinces in life are written on our faces. I am not good at reading people, but I have some friends that are. It true that stress and the experiences of life age the body, and I believe that good and evil are written in our countenances.

There are few exceptions to that rule. Dorian Gray is one of them. When one's appearance is completely detached from the reality of ones character, that person is derranged. Dorian Gray reminded me of famous crimes that hit the news. I have often seen reporters interview the neighbors of murderers or people who commit serious crimes. We have all seen the neighbors say, "I can't understand he seemed like such a nice man."

Wilde's philosophical approach to art, and the motif of art did not do much for me. But I really appreciated the other things that this book got me to thing about. This book made me consider: vanity, the value of one's concience, the importance of consequences in life and what consequences teach us, the power of persuasion, and what is worse spiritual or physical death. I never thought I would say it but LOVED this book....less

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Johannes rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

05/13/08

bookshelves: literature

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

The story begins when young, beautiful Dorian Gray encounters Lord Henry Wotton, who becomes Dorian's friend, mentor and corruptor. Lord Henry teaches Dorian that the purpose of life is simply to experience life, that experience is both the means and the end. Dorian searches for new experiences and soon finds himself engaging in immoral and vulgar acts: he breaks hearts, he breathes opium, he ruins lives and he kills. As Dorian's moral character decays, his outward appearance is unaffected; b...more The story begins when young, beautiful Dorian Gray encounters Lord Henry Wotton, who becomes Dorian's friend, mentor and corruptor. Lord Henry teaches Dorian that the purpose of life is simply to experience life, that experience is both the means and the end. Dorian searches for new experiences and soon finds himself engaging in immoral and vulgar acts: he breaks hearts, he breathes opium, he ruins lives and he kills. As Dorian's moral character decays, his outward appearance is unaffected; but while he retains his youth and charm, his portrait grows old and wicked-looking. At the end of the book, Dorian attacks the portrait in a fit of confusion, grief and anger, and in doing so ends his own life.

It would be possible to interpret this novel as almost puritanical: Dorian sins and is punished. Yet I think this would be a gross misinterpretation. First, Dorian's corruptor remains relatively unpunished: Lord Henry not only lives still at the novel's close, but he seems to be as free and content as always. Second, the uncorrupted -- Sybil Vane and Basil Hallward -- fall victim to Dorian's cruelty and are quickly forgotten by a world that continues to make a place for Dorian. Finally, we must remember that Wilde was himself was a proponent of the aesthetic movement: art for art's sake. His own infatuation with beauty is a part of Lord Henry's teachings, so a complete condemnation of those ideas is an unlikely theme for Wilde's only novel.

Rather, I believe the novel endorses Lord Henry's teachings, in part or in full. But we must remember that Lord Henry does not take opium, he does not wander in unsavory parts of town, and he certainly does not commit murder. Rather, he goes to the opera, he reads good literature, he surrounds himself with art, and he amuses himself with witty conversations. In short, Lord Henry lives for his own experiences, but those experiences are of a refined nature. He eschews the vulgar and lives. Dorian fails to discriminate in this way, and so he suffers and dies. Wilde is telling us that while experience is both a means and an end, not every experience is worth having. The story of Dorian Gray is a cautionary tale: live for the sake of living, but live a discerning life of artistry and culture.

In this age, aestheticism is not a common thesis, and this made The Picture of Dorian Gray particularly enjoyable for me. More than anything, I loved reading almost every word uttered by Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian's master seems a projection of Wilde himself: a gentleman who laughs at the world while relishing in its highest pleasures, who lives for those pleasures and who loves beauty more than anything. As such, it is through Lord Henry's speech that Wilde's wit is most evident.

On the whole, this is one of my favorite novels. I can hardly believe it took me so long to read it. I am indebted to Kristen for giving me such an enthusiastic recommendation....less

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Abdullah rated it:

(review of isbn 0000000000)

05/08/08

Read in May, 2008

recommends it for: Bader

وأخيرا أنهيت رائعة اوسكار وايلد التي طالما قرأت عنها وعن البلبلة التي سببتها عندما نشرت أول مره عام 1890.

في البداية أحب أن أنوه أن الرواية تمتلك حس فلسفي في بعض جنباتها عن عدة أمور مختلفة ولكن المحور الرئيسي للرواية كان "الجمال" الظاهري , والتي كانت على لسان اللورد هنري; ...more وأخيرا أنهيت رائعة اوسكار وايلد التي طالما قرأت عنها وعن البلبلة التي سببتها عندما نشرت أول مره عام 1890.

في البداية أحب أن أنوه أن الرواية تمتلك حس فلسفي في بعض جنباتها عن عدة أمور مختلفة ولكن المحور الرئيسي للرواية كان "الجمال" الظاهري , والتي كانت على لسان اللورد هنري; الشخصية الأشهر لاوسكار وايلد.

الرواية جميلة ..أنهيتها في 4 أيام تقريبا, وكلما تركتها أتوق للعودة إليها وتكملة أحداثها. الحوارات في الرواية ممتعة خصوصا التي كانت من اللورد هنري. بكل صراحة كنت أتوقع الرواية هادئة من بدايتها إلى النهاية, لكنها فجعتني في أكثر من موضع لما تحتوي من أحداث غير متوقعة!

لكن.. أرى أن في الرواية بعض الأحداث التي تم تصويرها بشكل مبالغ جدا.. لا أحبذ ذكر شيء منها.. لكن أعتقد من قرأ الرواية سيفهم ذلك حتما.

في الحقيقة, لقد توقعت أن الرواية أجمل مما هي عليه .. وهكذا انا دائما, اعطي الرواية اكثر من حقها فأقرأها باحثا عما كنت أتخيله في ذهني..فأجد نفسي لا انا بالذي وجد مايصبوا اليه, ولا انا بالذي اعطى الرواية حقها. فلو اني لم أتحمس -بزيادة- لقراءتها لكان تقييمي لها مختلفا. للأسف هذه أحد أكبر الأمور التي تفسد علي متعة القراءة.. آخ ليتني أستطيع الخلاص منها.
قد أقرأ الرواية في وقت لاحق, وأعيد النظر في تقييمي لها

الترجمة رائعة جدا... استمتعت بها كثيرا وكانت متقنة بشكل متميز
أيضا طبعة الكتاب جميلة جدا ..تصميم الغلاف متميز ونوعية الورق فاخر
من أحب الكتب شكلا الى نفسي :)

الا انه لي مأخذ على الترجمة.. الا وهو عدم ترجمة بعض الكلمات التي لها مقابل في اللغة العربية, مثل : "سير" و "مسز " و "جنتلمان"
لا أعرف لماذا لم تترجم إلى مايقابلها باللغة العربية ؟ فعلا شيء محير !
عدا ذلك فالرواية جميلة وممتعة

Bader:
عندي إحساس أن الرواية ستعجبك :) ..
وللمعلومية فهي متوفرة في جرير والعبيكان...less

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Jason rated it:

(review of isbn 0375751513)

08/03/07

bookshelves: favorites

recommends it for: the well-read and those who claim to be

I am not sure whether this novel is so perfect I should wish Wilde had written more, or whether this novel is so perfect I should be grateful it stands alone.

Wilde was an aesthete? This is a work of aestheticism? Hardly. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a gripping and sincere morality tale, told with beauty, and about beauty, but ultimately driven by the quasi-Gothic nightmare that rests beneath all that is beautiful in the book and all that is said about the pursuit of beauty by its primary ch...more I am not sure whether this novel is so perfect I should wish Wilde had written more, or whether this novel is so perfect I should be grateful it stands alone.

Wilde was an aesthete? This is a work of aestheticism? Hardly. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a gripping and sincere morality tale, told with beauty, and about beauty, but ultimately driven by the quasi-Gothic nightmare that rests beneath all that is beautiful in the book and all that is said about the pursuit of beauty by its primary characters.

Wilde's writing is beautiful. Anything of beauty within the mise en scène is captured by Wilde and depicted with beauty. Dorian Gray is beauty in human form. His friend Basil Hallward, a painter, sees Dorian's beauty and is driven to portray it on canvas. Per Dorian's wish, he will remain beautiful, and Basil's portrait will bear the ravages of his soul. Basil's homoerotic fascination with Dorian, and its expression in his portrait of Dorian, will unwittingly lead to tragedy. Through Basil, Dorian befriends Lord Henry Wotton, who impresses upon Dorian the ideal of beauty. And, beyond that, the joy of beauty. Of seeking out that which pleases the senses. Of hedonism. A means of existence Dorian takes at its purest. Hedonism regardless the price. Personal pleasure above all else. Eventually the cost of such a life, and the sins Dorian commits in the name of it, come grossly to light, in what is in many ways the simplest of tales of right and wrong.

Why is the novel so good if it's, arguably, so simple? Several reasons. Dorian's wish is not a foreign concept to men of any age. Lord Wotton's philosophy is captivating and, in many ways, persuasive. Beauty pleases man. All man has by way of understanding the world is his senses. All that triggers them and satisfies them (or more) is the best man can take from the world. Wilde knows. When (and when not) feeding the reader a compelling philosophy of beauty, he feeds the reader via the beauty of his prose. Quite literally, Wilde's writing pleases the senses. Multiple senses, in fact. The eye in its words. But more than the eye, as Wilde's eye, and his treatment of the world within the novel, reaches beyond it.

That the beauty of the writing is on par with the views on aesthetics put forth in the novel as a counterbalance to its moral substance makes this a novel only Wilde could have written. There may be better prose in Anglo-American fiction (or not). No such prose, however, is as striking and of such calculated elegance and allure as Wilde's. The novel's abounding beauty provides the force that animates its theme of false beauty. That abounding beauty is Wilde's particular gift, and the heart of one of the best novels in the Anglo-American canon....less

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Leah rated it:

(review of isbn 0393927547)

12/02/07

Leah Rusenko
Ebarvia
World Literature
11/28/07
Book Review
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a book written about human desires for eternal youth. The author, Oscar Wilde, is an Irish playwright and novelist. He has written many popular plays, but this is his only successful novel. In this story, a gorgeous young man named Dorian Gray has his portrait painted. In a pact with the devil, Dorian sells his soul for eternal youth and his portrait ages instead of him. Throughout the bo...more Leah Rusenko
Ebarvia
World Literature
11/28/07
Book Review
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a book written about human desires for eternal youth. The author, Oscar Wilde, is an Irish playwright and novelist. He has written many popular plays, but this is his only successful novel. In this story, a gorgeous young man named Dorian Gray has his portrait painted. In a pact with the devil, Dorian sells his soul for eternal youth and his portrait ages instead of him. Throughout the book, Dorian Gray lives a scandalous lifestyle and constantly fears others will discover his secrets. Eventually, he can no longer endure his guilty conscience and stabs the portrait, thereby killing himself.

The idea that the novel is based on was what I found to be the most interesting. The thought of eternal youth and how it changes a person fascinates me. Dorian Gray was an appealing character. Wilde does a good job of making him appear life-like, so you want to follow his story. Basic plot is another strong area. Dorian Gray’s scandalous life has many twists and turns that help to hold the reader’s interest. However, the book also has downfalls. I did not enjoy the extremely long dialogues and monologues found in most chapters. They slow the pace of the book and are difficult to get through. Most of the points made in these speeches seem trivial, and not worth one to two pages.

Some major weaknesses in The Picture of Dorian Gray include the language. I understand that the book was written in the early 1900’s, but the language is so complex and old-fashioned that the book drags. It is hard to continue reading after a large monologue of such language appears in a chapter. Another weak point is the lengthy descriptions of every minute detail. A character’s thoughts about the appearance of a youthful face could go on for 2-3 pages. Extra detail that does not enhance the story should be cut out. Perhaps Wilde could have shortened the book, and cut out long monologues to make the novel more interesting.

Overall, the basic idea and plot of this story is intriguing. However, the failure to hold the readers attention and develop the events in the plot takes away from the book. I consider this book a disappointment to read. At first, the original proposal draws you in, but the reader is soon drowned in lengthy descriptions with difficult language. I would not recommend this book to many people, but if you are interested in old, descriptive classics, perhaps you should try this book. In my opinion, The Picture of Dorian Gray is not a great novel for today’s high school students.
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Kristen rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

06/26/08

bookshelves: classics

Unfortunately I made it through both high school and college without ever having been assigned this book. Over the years I have read plenty of Wilde's works, but for some reason or another, missed this one over and over. I recently sat down, and decided that it was time to give this a read. To be honest, I knew very little about this actual book prior to reading it, other than it involved a picture that aged rather than he in the painting.

I expected to have difficulty reading...more
Unfortunately I made it through both high school and college without ever having been assigned this book. Over the years I have read plenty of Wilde's works, but for some reason or another, missed this one over and over. I recently sat down, and decided that it was time to give this a read. To be honest, I knew very little about this actual book prior to reading it, other than it involved a picture that aged rather than he in the painting.

I expected to have difficulty reading this book, since it had been such a long time since I had read anything from the Victorian era, however the language was surprisingly simple, and Wilde's wit is as sharp as ever. Almost sharp enough to harm the reader should they not be forewarned or guided through the readings. Should someone of a weaker mind read this book, it would be easy to fall into the trap of Dorian, who himself was poisoned by a book and the words of his friend.

Summary without giving too much away: Dorian Gray is an Adonis-like beauty, young and full of life and innocence at the beginning of our story. His beauty has attracted the obsession of a painter who paints picture after picture of him. Basil (the painter) tries to keep young Dorian pure and in love with life. Henry, a friend of Basil's comes to the studio as Basil paints his master work - a portrait of Doran. Henry fascinates young Dorian in his vile manner of speaking and sarcastic wit. His talk instills in Dorian both a fear of losing his beauty and a lust for all that is selfish and vile in life. Dorian's notable debauchery follows in exquisite detail with Henry always along for the ride to prod young Dorian down the wrong road. Several suicides and a murder or two later, complete madness begins to make its appearance.

Wilde was brilliant in his writing of this book, he captures the time perfectly... the lust of it, the sexuality of it, the debauchery of it... all in the name of truth. In their words they say things that their hearts dare not to believe and their smiles are masks hiding the truth. And what if someone believed in these lies? What if they lived their life according to what they had been told? Then they would be Dorian Gray... and we will see what happens to him. This is a brilliant read, and for those of you who will have to write papers on it... the story is not long, but it is thick with meaning. There are very few stories that I would give 5 stars to, this is one of them.
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Jenny rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

04/11/08

Read in February, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is definitely a disturbing book. I think there is great worth in reading it, particularly when paired with a book such as Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe or Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Contrasting Dorian's sordid downfall with with the heroic ascension of Uncle Tom or Jean Valjean is particularly beneficial.

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with Dorian, a young and handsome gentleman who is involved with philanthropy, sitting for a port...more The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is definitely a disturbing book. I think there is great worth in reading it, particularly when paired with a book such as Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe or Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Contrasting Dorian's sordid downfall with with the heroic ascension of Uncle Tom or Jean Valjean is particularly beneficial.

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with Dorian, a young and handsome gentleman who is involved with philanthropy, sitting for a portrait while his new friend, Lord Henry, a sarcastic and hedonistic man of society, watches on. Dorian is described as being “unspotted from the world” and his beauty inspires the artist to his very best work. Lord Henry exclaims how lovely the portrait has turned out, but laments that it is too bad that the picture will stay young forever, whereas Dorian will eventually age and lose his youth and beauty. A vexed Dorian makes a wish that he will stay timeless and the picture will age instead of him.

Taking Lord Henry as a mentor, Dorian sets out to apply Lord Henry's selfish and narcissistic worldview into nearly every facet of his life. In time, Dorian realizes that his wish has magically come true. He remains beautiful, while his painting takes on all the consequences of his wicked actions. As the debased Dorian sins more and more, the picture becomes more hideous and tortures Dorian's soul.

Despite being filled with Wilde's signature wit, this is a haunting story showing the consequence of selfish character and the downfall of the soul due to despicable and hideous behaviors. Dorian loses his inner beauty long before he realizes that his soul's ugliness will destroy him.

It's interesting to note that he chooses a French novel as his own Core Book, a personal classic which guided him throughout his life. In comparison, Uncle Tom and Jean Valjean both chose the Bible as their Core book. Near the end of the book, Dorian laments, "You poisoned me with a book once. I should not forgive that. Harry, promise me that you will never lend that book to any one. It does harm." Wilde clearly shows that books exert an amazing influence over our lives. We must be wise in our choice of what we read. As Thoreau once said, "Read the best books first, or you may not have the chance to read them at all." I would only add to that, "Read the best books most often, for they will color your soul."...less

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JG rated it:

(review of isbn 1593081758)

03/06/08

bookshelves: classics, fiction

Read in February, 2008

It seems like I run into references to Dorian Gray pretty frequently (Most recently in James Blunt's song "Tears and Rain"). I decided to pick this up because I was tired of not understanding the references.

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with one of Dorian's friends, a painter named Basil Hallward, just finishing his portrait. Lord Henry is visiting Basil and happens to meet Dorian. Henry sort of becomes the devil on Dorian's shoulder, asking something like, "Isn'...more It seems like I run into references to Dorian Gray pretty frequently (Most recently in James Blunt's song "Tears and Rain"). I decided to pick this up because I was tired of not understanding the references.

The Picture of Dorian Gray begins with one of Dorian's friends, a painter named Basil Hallward, just finishing his portrait. Lord Henry is visiting Basil and happens to meet Dorian. Henry sort of becomes the devil on Dorian's shoulder, asking something like, "Isn't it a shame that this portrait will be forever beautiful, perfect, innocent, and pure, but you will age, wither and die?" This hits Dorian hard. In a temper tantrum, he prays that the opposite should happen. He wants to live unsullied and have the portrait bear the marks of his living. His prayer is answered. This frees Dorian to live the life of cruelty, debauchery, and addiction that he wants. The portrait is hidden away in the attic and it looks more and more horrifying. But since Dorian is forever a beautiful 20-year-old Adonis, no one ever knows about his secret life.

To me, this book was cautionary tale about not judging by appearances and how you might be able to hide your sins, but you can't hide them forever. I was shocked to read the introduction (after finishing the book) and find out that the critics at the time of publication thought the book was immoral and terrible! The first version included some "homoerotic" scenes which upset readers in the 1890's. Wilde's popularity wasn't helped by the fact that he was jailed for two years, basically for homosexuality. It seemed to me like Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray became the same person in the minds of readers and no one wanted anything to do with the book or the author. But, obviously, someone saw the value of the book or it wouldn't have become a classic.

I recommend this one. It's very readable and, like I said before, references to Dorian Gray are everywhere. I'll be glad to fully understand them now.

One final thing. I learned a great word from the introduction to this version--logorrhea. As in "Stephen King's books frequently suffer from logorrhea." Great word, right?...less

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Linda rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

05/29/07

bookshelves: favorites

“Women have no appreciation of good looks; at least, good women have not.”

“We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind, and poisons us. The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. Nothing remains then but the recollection of a pleasure, or the luxury of a regret. The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things. It has forbi...more

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Steven rated it:

(review of isbn 1593080255)

02/19/08

bookshelves: 1001, irish-blood

Read in February, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Basil Hallward, who is a bit smitten with his subject, paints a portrait of the obviously enchanting Dorian Gray. Gray prays that it will be the picture and not he that ages and he gets his wish. While Gray remains youthful looking and fresh, the picture shows every blemish upon his character, including the unpardonable role he had in the suicide of a young actress he had been pursuing. Unlike Gray, the picture also ages and grows grotesque with time. Dorian does all manner of bad things suc...more Basil Hallward, who is a bit smitten with his subject, paints a portrait of the obviously enchanting Dorian Gray. Gray prays that it will be the picture and not he that ages and he gets his wish. While Gray remains youthful looking and fresh, the picture shows every blemish upon his character, including the unpardonable role he had in the suicide of a young actress he had been pursuing. Unlike Gray, the picture also ages and grows grotesque with time. Dorian does all manner of bad things such as murder Basil Hallward, etc., (odd to me that hedonism in Victorian England takes the form of collecting jewels and tapestries) until he is overcome with guilt and stabs the picture and he is transformed to his true self and dies.

Of course, the most charming aspect of the novel is the various witticisms of Lord Henry Wotton with the unique tone and epigrams of Oscar Wilde. For example, “the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it;” “Always! That’s a dreadful word…. Women are so fond of using it. They spoil every romance by trying to make it last forever. It is a meaningless word, too. The only difference between a caprice and a life-long passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer;” “When you lose your good looks you lose everything;” “Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious. Both are disappointed.”

Certainly the novel is a classic for its larger themes of hedonism, the importance we place on physical beauty, the true nature of goodness, guilt, etc. What would we all give for the ability to have eternal youth? Should we really always follow our bliss? One of my favorite expressions is the idea that someone or something can be “rode hard and put up wet.” One often hears the expression when someone is referring to a person that shows the marks of partying a bit too hard at an age where partying a bit too hard often shows up on the face the next morning. But what if it didn’t, what if it only showed up on a portrait of us, what would we do? Interesting to consider.

This book was a real breeze to read given the unique style and humor of the incomparable Oscar Wilde.

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