"Oh! In what a wild hour of madness he had killed his friend! How ghastly the mere memory of the scene! He saw it all again. Each hideous detail ...
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Dec 23, 2011
Michele
rated it: 
Review by Jason Lush
One hundred and ninety pages of political masturbation disguised as a supernatural suspense story. Of the three main characters we have; Dorian Gray, who is a brainless puppet the personifies vanity; Basil Hallward, the artist who painted the fabled portrait and represents the sorrowful conscience; and Lord Henry Wolton, who is the quintessential 19th Century fop whose sole purpose in the book is to act as Wilde's voice on politics, religion and homosexuality and More...
One hundred and ninety pages of political masturbation disguised as a supernatural suspense story. Of the three main characters we have; Dorian Gray, who is a brainless puppet the personifies vanity; Basil Hallward, the artist who painted the fabled portrait and represents the sorrowful conscience; and Lord Henry Wolton, who is the quintessential 19th Century fop whose sole purpose in the book is to act as Wilde's voice on politics, religion and homosexuality and More...
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Dec 23, 2011
Johnny
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An entertaining marriage of the gothic and the decadent, two genres that often overlapped, just never before with quite so many witticisms. Wilde's prose is deliriously easy to read, skating along on a shiny surface of rapid-fire exchanges and facile summaries of the fin-de-siècle worldview, but there are certainly some intriguing things going on beneath that surface. The link between outer beauty and inner beauty, so beloved by the Renaissance, is reexamined but not necessarily disproven, just
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Dec 23, 2011
D
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I've always loved the plays and short fiction of Oscar Wilde, but for whatever reason I've never been able to finish this book. I guess it's one of those books you just have to be ready to read. I always knew once I got through the book I would love it, and I can now safely say I was right. I have to admit I was bored out of my mind for maybe two chapters, mainly as all 9000 of Dorian's hobbies were being described. Aside from those few and far between moments i found the book charming. I just l
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Jan 26, 2012
Tristy
rated it: 
My favorite stories in this collection were "The Birthday of the Infanta" and "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime." "The Birthday" was an incredible piece about the beauty of innocence and not being exposed to the "celebrity beauty culture" of that time period. It rings true and real just as much as if it were written today and knowing what a peacock Oscar Wilde was, I find it fascinating that he wrote such a love story to ugliness. And "Lord Arthur" is
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Dec 23, 2011
Cristina
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Perhaps the problem with reading this was that I read it a decade too late. After hearing the hype about this book from everyone who had read it in high school or junior high, I went in to my reading of it with high expectations, which sadly weren't met. As much as I loved the last paragraph, the book wasn't good enough to allow its great ending to excuse all its flaws. For one, the book never focused enough on the actual portrait of Dorian Gray, for another, it never delved into the "darkn
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Dec 23, 2011
KJ
rated it:
“Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.” ~ Oscar Wilde
In 1890, Oscar Wilde published the first chapters of what would be his only book in "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine" about a man at the pinnacle of his youth who meets two older men - one who paints his portrait, and the other who corrupts his soul.
Dorian Gray sits for portrait artist Basil Hallword in the opening scenes of this story, and the painter captures Do More...
In 1890, Oscar Wilde published the first chapters of what would be his only book in "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine" about a man at the pinnacle of his youth who meets two older men - one who paints his portrait, and the other who corrupts his soul.
Dorian Gray sits for portrait artist Basil Hallword in the opening scenes of this story, and the painter captures Do More...
Dec 23, 2011
Bjoernlars
rated it:
I was recommended this book by no less than three coworkers on the premise that it is a classic and a favorite. I’d have to say that my expectations were a bit high for the reality of the book. While the book wasn’t bad overall, it didn’t hold up to my expectations of a story for a modern reader.
There is no doubt that Oscar Wilde was a cleaver and witty man; he had lots of great comments and jokes written throughout the book that I’d enjoy. What makes this a bad aspect is that the More...
There is no doubt that Oscar Wilde was a cleaver and witty man; he had lots of great comments and jokes written throughout the book that I’d enjoy. What makes this a bad aspect is that the More...
Dec 23, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
Wilde allegedly said the main characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray were reflections of himself: "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry is what the world thinks me: Dorian is what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps." This makes me wonder whether Wilde actually read his own book. I can't imagine why anyone would like or appreciate, much less emulate, any of the characters in this book. All of them are selfish, melodramatic, entitled, snobby, prissy, superficial, a
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Dec 23, 2011
Bre
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Wilde's brilliant wit is even apparent in this dark tale of self-indulgence and moral decay, though one has to look for it amongst the lies and empty lives of the characters.
If Wilde was trying to defend and uphold an individual's right to give in to their darkest deepest passions, he accomplished his goal. However, if he ever had the intention of making the audience of this masterpiece believe this hedonistic lifestyle is uplifting, exalting, and has the power to make a person's existen More...
If Wilde was trying to defend and uphold an individual's right to give in to their darkest deepest passions, he accomplished his goal. However, if he ever had the intention of making the audience of this masterpiece believe this hedonistic lifestyle is uplifting, exalting, and has the power to make a person's existen More...
Dec 23, 2011
Naomi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 23, 2011
Mendi
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This is my favourite book of all time.
It is so wonderfully written, that I feel the need to underline sentences on nearly every page. And not only is the style of the writing amazing: the story itself is marvelous. To be forever young and beautiful has been a dream of many a man. Oscar Wilde made a story out of it that truly holds all genres in one. Furthermore, you can't help but to feel that you actually know the characters. Dorian Gray, whose change you can feel along with him inside y More...
It is so wonderfully written, that I feel the need to underline sentences on nearly every page. And not only is the style of the writing amazing: the story itself is marvelous. To be forever young and beautiful has been a dream of many a man. Oscar Wilde made a story out of it that truly holds all genres in one. Furthermore, you can't help but to feel that you actually know the characters. Dorian Gray, whose change you can feel along with him inside y More...
Dec 23, 2011
Meagan
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Dec 23, 2011
Lanier
rated it:
Wilde has jammed this novel with alliteration, colorful descriptives of nature and the natural Man, while peppering in the unnaturalness of humanity and the state of art and beauty . Did I mention how incredibly funny it is? I’m not sure if I got the immense humor in the supercilious Lord Henry, the first time I read it. Yet, he and Dorian prove that, "Each one of us has heaven and hell [with]in."
I can remember reading this novel about 13 years ago and trying to explain More...
I can remember reading this novel about 13 years ago and trying to explain More...
Dec 23, 2011
Susan
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The Victorians seemed fascinated by multiplicity of personality and differences between the public/private self -- e.g., Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, various Dickens characters, the Importance of Being Earnest. This story plays with those ideas but is more preoccupied with theories about the importance of art, the sensual side of life and aging. The surface of the book glitters with clever wordplay, aesthetic theories and beautiful writing. The selfishness and triviality of the main character and an
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Dec 23, 2011
Krystl
rated it:
Audio book review from 2005:
Lovely lovely book. I was drawn in by the first couple paragraphs and that surprised me a lot coming from a "classic". I was in love with the writing in this book as well. I'm re-reading the whole thing from a real book so that I can take down all the wonderful quotes. Which will fill up a small book in themselves.
I was amazed by everything in this book besides the ending which seemed way too predictable and like Oscar Wilde suddenly just gave More...
Lovely lovely book. I was drawn in by the first couple paragraphs and that surprised me a lot coming from a "classic". I was in love with the writing in this book as well. I'm re-reading the whole thing from a real book so that I can take down all the wonderful quotes. Which will fill up a small book in themselves.
I was amazed by everything in this book besides the ending which seemed way too predictable and like Oscar Wilde suddenly just gave More...
Dec 23, 2011
J. J.
rated it:
A great foray into hedonism and the philosophical discussions that surround it. An easy read, but an impossible novel to interpret. Like any good story, there are obvious lessons learned, but to determine what lies beneath requires a better knowledge of the author, in my opinion. 4 out of 5 stars. I'd like to read the 1890 original version (on Wikisource) to see how much he censored the story for the final 1891 novel.
I also read "The Happy Prince", one of the three short st More...
I also read "The Happy Prince", one of the three short st More...
Dec 23, 2011
Echo
rated it:
Overall, a good read. It started out strong and ended very well. I admit there were several times in the middle when it dragged a lot. Wilde tended to go on and on and ON about things you just really didn't care about, and sometimes you could just see him giving himself a pat on the back because he was making the characters SO very witty. I know it's a short novel to begin with, but I felt it would have been a lot stronger if it had been even shorter.
There were also three short stories More...
There were also three short stories More...
Dec 23, 2011
Roger
rated it:
Well, this book certainly took me a while to read! I've been on a reading hiatus for some time and hadn't read anything longer than a novella or trade paperback in forever.
Once I got past the archaic language, I was really flying through this. You really love/hate Dorian by the end of this story. Lord Henry is the most quotable character in the book and its pretty obvious it's just Wilde inserting himself in the story.
Kristy- thank you for loaning this to me AND for putti More...
Once I got past the archaic language, I was really flying through this. You really love/hate Dorian by the end of this story. Lord Henry is the most quotable character in the book and its pretty obvious it's just Wilde inserting himself in the story.
Kristy- thank you for loaning this to me AND for putti More...
Dec 23, 2011
Jackie
rated it:
What a dark book! But it does paint a picture of what happens when we let Satan in with the little things (a book we shouldn't read, a new friend who isn't such a great influence, etc.). When we let ourselves be torn down little by little, we still let ourselves be torn down.
Wilde is a fantastic writer. The book kept my attention and made me want to keep reading to find out what happens to Dorian Gray. He also writes so well of the sadness that Gray finds himself in; I couldn't help bu More...
Wilde is a fantastic writer. The book kept my attention and made me want to keep reading to find out what happens to Dorian Gray. He also writes so well of the sadness that Gray finds himself in; I couldn't help bu More...
Dec 23, 2011
Cynthia
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There were parts of this book that were tedious and annoying, but it there were sections which I found intriguing as I felt they were windows into the author's experience and thought processes. I'm glad I read it, even though it wasn't one of my favorites. I love it when a novel makes me examine things I don't normally give much thought to. I wondered why I didn't feel much emotion or attachment to this story as it is shocking in some places, but maybe that was intended as Dorian wasn't capab
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Dec 23, 2011
B
rated it:
Very interesting. A little slow, but well written and very good characterization. I feel that the character Lord Henry Wotton is an well-written but simply awful character (which adds a lot to the book) and I also wonder if his musings on religion, marriage and life in general weren't somehow Wilde's way of getting his feelings on the matters out there, but because it's a work of fiction he couldn't be taken TOO seriously about them...
The Happy Prince, is one of my very favorite sto More...
The Happy Prince, is one of my very favorite sto More...
Dec 23, 2011
Lostinanovel
rated it:
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Dec 23, 2011
Jean
rated it:
Rose bought me a copy of this book on Easter, and I finished it about a week later. I thought it was beautifully written, and had the perfect ending(v. crisp and concise way of wrapping up the story).
I read a bit about the argument of the immorality of the book, but thought it had a pretty clear message myself. Although Dorian was able to extend his youth, his wicked ways still caught up with him, and he ultimately destroyed himself. Perhaps it was considered such a wicked book More...
I read a bit about the argument of the immorality of the book, but thought it had a pretty clear message myself. Although Dorian was able to extend his youth, his wicked ways still caught up with him, and he ultimately destroyed himself. Perhaps it was considered such a wicked book More...
Dec 23, 2011
Trisha
rated it:
I may get flamed for this, but I didn't enjoy this book at all. It took me forever to read and that was with skimming the seemingly endless pages of Wilde's prattling on about minute detail after minute detail. What I _did_ enjoy reading were the interactions between Gray and the other characters of the book, namely, Lord Henry and Basil. Sure, the ending was poetic, but it was so predictable that even that was ruined.
I must be a very shallow person since I am unable to see what the More...
I must be a very shallow person since I am unable to see what the More...
Dec 23, 2011
Donna
rated it: 
While I liked the premise for the story The Picture of Dorian Gray and have often thought of reading this classic, I was disappointed. If composed as a short story, I probably would have liked this work much better, but it was drawn out to novella length with repetitive philosophizing which I found myself skimming just to get on with the story. The excesses of the characters were neither amusing nor thought-provoking. I guess I am glad that I read this because it is often referred to, but I can
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Dec 23, 2011
Michael
rated it:
I am _totally_ a fan of Oscar Wilde's now. Never having read TPoDG before, this was a real treat to finally read. I may have known the central conceit of the story for some time, but it's a lot more fun to finally _know_ the story! All three of the other stories included in this volume ("Lord Arthur Saville's Crime", "The Happy Prince", and "The Birthday of the Infata") were also beautiful little stories, especially "The Happy Prince". I'm going to need to
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Dec 23, 2011
Alexis
rated it:
Other than writing an extended treatise, I feel it's pretty hard to adequately review "The Picture of Dorian Gray." It was an interesting change of pace to read a fiction piece, rather than a drama, of Wilde's. To be short and sweet: a fascinating book that has many of the moral lessons at a surface level. Be that as it may, this book may better be read as a philosophical text than a work of fiction. And I'm going to leave it at that since I don't have it in me to embark on an exte
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Dec 23, 2011
Nozomi
rated it:
Oh, the corruption, the corruption! In The Picture of Dorian Gray. Lord Henry Wotton corrupts a sweet and unfortunately beautiful Dorian with his beliefs about life, women, politics, education. We all enjoy doing this to those who are innocent and young. Wotton speaks twisted truth but we are in denial. And Dorian takes the fall for it.
Both The Happy Prince and The Birthday of the Infanta were sad but sweet.
I have yet to read Lord Arthur Savile's Crime.
Both The Happy Prince and The Birthday of the Infanta were sad but sweet.
I have yet to read Lord Arthur Savile's Crime.
Dec 23, 2011
♠Shane
rated it:
While the writing in this book was amazing, I was bored to tears for at least two thirds of this book.
I wish I could say I liked it but I just really didn't. I found myself reading about twenty pages and then being so bored I'd have to put it down and come back to it the next day to stomach another twenty pages before I was bored again. The story was slow going until the end and by that point the conclusion was so transparent I was just reading it to say I'd finished it.
I wish I could say I liked it but I just really didn't. I found myself reading about twenty pages and then being so bored I'd have to put it down and come back to it the next day to stomach another twenty pages before I was bored again. The story was slow going until the end and by that point the conclusion was so transparent I was just reading it to say I'd finished it.
Dec 23, 2011
Hannah
rated it:
“You filled me with a wild desire to know everything about life. For days after I met you, something seemed to throb in my veins.” pg. 48
Decadence goes beyond the imagination and perfects the skills while taking into consideration every aspect of feeling and searching for more. I feel the intensity of the build until it hits its peak. Curiousity must be fulfilled.. but it also killed the cat.. just kidding.. somewhat. curious to read? 4 stars.
Decadence goes beyond the imagination and perfects the skills while taking into consideration every aspect of feeling and searching for more. I feel the intensity of the build until it hits its peak. Curiousity must be fulfilled.. but it also killed the cat.. just kidding.. somewhat. curious to read? 4 stars.
