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The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde's full-length novel, a fashionable young man sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Also included in the volume are three of the Irish master storyteller's short works:
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime
The Happy Prince
The Birthbday of the Infanta
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime
The Happy Prince
The Birthbday of the Infanta
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1891
312 people are currently reading
2109 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Wilde
6,064 books38.2k followersOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 340 reviews
February 20, 2023
Clairement mon premier coup de coeur de l’année, j’ai adoré à quel point l’histoire est racontée de façon à nous rendre addict au livre ET à nous amener dans le chemin philosophique. Gooooooood good good good good book
May 28, 2013
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 you, Lord Henry Wotton, with all his wonderfully interesting speeches, and Basil Hallward, the timid artist overpowered by the mere presence of this young man, Dorian Gray. Even the other characters in the book get a voice and a body and come to life, as it were, before your very eyes.
I will always be able to marvel over this book. I will always want to read it. Again and again. The more you read it, the more you'll see.
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 you, Lord Henry Wotton, with all his wonderfully interesting speeches, and Basil Hallward, the timid artist overpowered by the mere presence of this young man, Dorian Gray. Even the other characters in the book get a voice and a body and come to life, as it were, before your very eyes.
I will always be able to marvel over this book. I will always want to read it. Again and again. The more you read it, the more you'll see.
May 14, 2020
My favorite classic novel to date. I've lost track of how many times I've re-read this story!
All the stars!
All the stars!
January 4, 2023
gay, gory, and deliciously ghastly
December 20, 2023
There are already so many reviews of "Dorian Gray" that I am sure what I can say has already been said ad infinitum ... I will says this, the final of the additional short stories added in this volume/edition, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crimes" is a masterpiece (5 stars!)
October 28, 2021
idk why this is listed separately from the copy i read the first time, maybe it’s the extra stories in the back, but i’ll take the chance to give this book 5 stars a second time. everyone say thank you oscar wilde
March 16, 2023
wow okay this book was crazy. also technically I didn't read the last three stories so am I lying by marking this read? but it was so good I loved it so much you should read it I don't know how to explain it but you really should. the dialogue is insane and the characters are so interesting and the pacing is perfect. literally loved this book so much!
April 20, 2023
I’m not technically finished with this book. I finished The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I’m going to hit pause for now—at least until after book club.
I’m going to say I liked it. There were parts that I hated (any time Henry/Harry was talking and chapter 11) but there were other parts that were really excellent. Once you get past chapter 11 things really start moving and Wilde plays up the gothic elements (also we get a break from Henry/Harry). That’s when I feel like the novel really hit its stride. Then Henry/Harry pops back up and it’s annoying for a bit. I think he’s supposed to serve as comic relief in this latter part, but it just didn’t land for me. He’s one of those men who thinks he’s charming everyone around him, and is unaware that everyone sees through it and hates him. Anyway, we get back on track after that and finish strong. The one time I didn’t hate Henry/Harry is during their final conversation when you can really see who was naïve all along. I’m noticing now that Henry/Harry really became the villain for me, and am feeling impressed at how Wilde maintained the humanity of and sympathy for Dorian despite the character’s depravity. I think this will be a good one for book club. There will be lots to talk about. Clubbers beware; it seems like I’ll be ranting about Henry/Harry.
I’m going to say I liked it. There were parts that I hated (any time Henry/Harry was talking and chapter 11) but there were other parts that were really excellent. Once you get past chapter 11 things really start moving and Wilde plays up the gothic elements (also we get a break from Henry/Harry). That’s when I feel like the novel really hit its stride. Then Henry/Harry pops back up and it’s annoying for a bit. I think he’s supposed to serve as comic relief in this latter part, but it just didn’t land for me. He’s one of those men who thinks he’s charming everyone around him, and is unaware that everyone sees through it and hates him. Anyway, we get back on track after that and finish strong. The one time I didn’t hate Henry/Harry is during their final conversation when you can really see who was naïve all along. I’m noticing now that Henry/Harry really became the villain for me, and am feeling impressed at how Wilde maintained the humanity of and sympathy for Dorian despite the character’s depravity. I think this will be a good one for book club. There will be lots to talk about. Clubbers beware; it seems like I’ll be ranting about Henry/Harry.
February 20, 2024
What a banger. Wilde is such a master at encapuslating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere. I had a previous notion as to what The Picture of Dorian G(r)ay entails, however, the narrative itself followed a pltline that I did not expect (but absolutely loved!!). Truly it was perfection. The way Gray's character developed was so masterfully executed, and his prose just reads as poetry. This is a highlight for a classic read for me and I recommend all to read it, I believe it explores the themes of vanity, beauty, and morals in such a universal and artful way that I cannot help but be in love with Wilde and his talent. Go read it now!!!
September 27, 2024
"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame."
June 22, 2016
My review of The Picture of Dorian Gray
I really enjoyed the three stories. They were very well-written, interesting, and even funny at times.
I really enjoyed the three stories. They were very well-written, interesting, and even funny at times.
October 20, 2017
I'll follow the example of fellow reviewers and break up the stars:
Dorian Gray: 5 stars (more like 5 million stars)
The Happy Prince: 4 stars
Birthday of the Infanta: 3 stars
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: 3.5 stars
So on average, roughly 4 stars for the whole book.
******
Spoilers:
The Happy Prince is a fable about the importance of compassion and the sacrifice that usually comes with it. I loved the moral!
The Birthday of the Infanta was a sort of uncharacteristic work of Wilde's. I tried to read between the lines and I guess he was trying to say that an unbecoming face may hide a beautiful heart, and a lovely face may only be a mask that hides cruel souls. Now that I think about it, it does ring a bell (I'm talking about you, Dorian 🤔)
Lord Savile's Crime is an entirely sarcastic story about "Sound English common sense"...I enjoyed it thoroughly 😂
Now to Dorian Gray; where do I begin?
Let's first start with what Wilde said about his three main characters: "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me, Dorian what I would like to be."
It is interesting that what he thought he was and what he would have wanted to be ended up being punished by his very own words. In the end, he killed them both. Lord Henry, whose only fault was to spread destructive ideas, is entirely unscathed. I wonder why that happened.
I have read most of Wilde's writings and there are major common themes between them all: he loves art, he mocks Society and he is very conscious of the consequences of Sin no matter how badly he wants to commit it, and then there is that deep-rooted hope for forgiveness that was evident in The Canterville Ghost, when the ghost was finally able to rest in peace because "he was forgiven."
When Dorian commits his first Sin by hurting Sibyl, he notices the first change on his portrait "in the dim arrested light...there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth.."
Was this the turning point of his life or was it when Sibyl kills herself? I would argue that the turning point was when he actually spoke the harsh words to her...No matter how hard he thought he tried to become better, he did not really work hard enough. Dorian was cruel to begin with, and Lord Henry was not to blame, nor was the mysterious book he lent to Dorian. Dorian wanted to be bad...he enjoyed it.
Even when he spends the night thinking that his portrait would be his guide in life, I can almost see him sigh with relief when he hears of her death. He didn't have to do the right thing anymore.
I do wonder, though, why I did not hate Dorian...Wilde did not write his protagonist's character to be loathed; that I can clearly see. I know that he's cruel, but Wilde does not fail to show that sometimes Dorian is remorseful, albeit not remorseful enough. Ultimately, it was Dorian's choice to sever ties with Basil and act upon all of Lord Henry's ideas. It was his choice alone and no one was to be blamed except him.
And it is striking that Dorian knows exactly how to correct his errors and return to the righteous path, and chooses to push it all aside. For years he stares at his portrait, that which "bears the burden of his sins", filled with "that pride of individualism that is half the fascination of sin". Not with regret, but with pride 😩
But Peter Raby, who wrote the afterword of this edition, points out something extremely deep, and I actually think that is one of the reasons, as a reader, I cannot hate Dorian completely. He mentions Wilde's argument stating that: "Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray" and then goes on to argue that the lack of specificity of Dorian's sins made readers empathize...and felt that this story is accessible...relatable and powerful.
But Dorian is not repentant. His only concern is that no one should see the mirror of his soul...He is not embarrassed by his deeds at all, he is only concerned that people who tolerate him despite everything he does because of his beauty, innocence and everlasting youth, should see how he actually should have looked after so many years of living like he did. It is as Basil tells him on the night he murders him: "I can't believe the rumours...Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face. It cannot be concealed."
Basil is sceptical nonetheless. He tell hims that "one has right to judge of a man by the effect he has over his friends.." and Dorian's effect on all the young men he befriended was detrimental.
When Basil sees the portrait, he realizes how he himself had sinned horribly by loving Dorian too much and by devoting himself to one person too much. He prays and asks Dorian to pray...but Dorian's goes crazy at this point.
The murder of Basil Hallward...Dorian cannot get over it. And it is actually a redeeming thing that he feels so much regret...until he chooses not to turn himself in.
But he sure is feeling all the guilt of his crime...Nothing gives him pleasure anymore.
"Like the painting of a sorrow,
A face without a heart..."
He confesses to Henry, who really is, at this point, a detestable character to me, that the soul "is a terrible reality...it can be bought and sold and bartered away. It can be poisoned or made perfect."
He admits to himself that God shouldn't forgive us but should instead should punish us for our iniquities. At this point, he believes he should have been punished for his first sin at the right time so that he wouldn't have lead such a terrible life, unafraid of the consequences.
And then he blames his youth and his beauty...they had ruined him as well. He thinks of his supposed good deed where he thought he spared a poor peasant girl from humiliation then realizes he did not do it because he intended well, he did it because of vanity, hypocrisy and curiosity. Nothing more or less. It is at the moment when he sees his portrait look even uglier that he realizes his true intentions.
At this point, Dorian knows that his portrait had been his conscience...he realizes that he cannot become a good person..he loses all hope.
I wonder if Dorian had a good friend at this point who could have pushed him and encouraged him and given him hope, could he have changed? Could he have been saved? Could bearing the burden of his sins have salvaged him from his fate?
When he stabs the painting, his soul and conscience, his true self...he himself dies. It had been him all along, while the face he carried around, young beautiful and innocent, had been a fake.
Wilde's story ends this way, with Dorian's soul finally mirrored on his physical body for all to see. What had been his only fear, the fear of being exposed to the world as a horrible human, was realized, unintentionally, by his own hands.
And that is another reason why I cannot hate Dorian so much. In the end, he was punished.
This is one of the best books I ever read, the only book I ever re-read (excluding Harry Potter) and a book that I cannot recommend strongly enough for everyone to read.
Dorian Gray: 5 stars (more like 5 million stars)
The Happy Prince: 4 stars
Birthday of the Infanta: 3 stars
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: 3.5 stars
So on average, roughly 4 stars for the whole book.
******
Spoilers:
The Happy Prince is a fable about the importance of compassion and the sacrifice that usually comes with it. I loved the moral!
The Birthday of the Infanta was a sort of uncharacteristic work of Wilde's. I tried to read between the lines and I guess he was trying to say that an unbecoming face may hide a beautiful heart, and a lovely face may only be a mask that hides cruel souls. Now that I think about it, it does ring a bell (I'm talking about you, Dorian 🤔)
Lord Savile's Crime is an entirely sarcastic story about "Sound English common sense"...I enjoyed it thoroughly 😂
Now to Dorian Gray; where do I begin?
Let's first start with what Wilde said about his three main characters: "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me, Dorian what I would like to be."
It is interesting that what he thought he was and what he would have wanted to be ended up being punished by his very own words. In the end, he killed them both. Lord Henry, whose only fault was to spread destructive ideas, is entirely unscathed. I wonder why that happened.
I have read most of Wilde's writings and there are major common themes between them all: he loves art, he mocks Society and he is very conscious of the consequences of Sin no matter how badly he wants to commit it, and then there is that deep-rooted hope for forgiveness that was evident in The Canterville Ghost, when the ghost was finally able to rest in peace because "he was forgiven."
When Dorian commits his first Sin by hurting Sibyl, he notices the first change on his portrait "in the dim arrested light...there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth.."
Was this the turning point of his life or was it when Sibyl kills herself? I would argue that the turning point was when he actually spoke the harsh words to her...No matter how hard he thought he tried to become better, he did not really work hard enough. Dorian was cruel to begin with, and Lord Henry was not to blame, nor was the mysterious book he lent to Dorian. Dorian wanted to be bad...he enjoyed it.
Even when he spends the night thinking that his portrait would be his guide in life, I can almost see him sigh with relief when he hears of her death. He didn't have to do the right thing anymore.
I do wonder, though, why I did not hate Dorian...Wilde did not write his protagonist's character to be loathed; that I can clearly see. I know that he's cruel, but Wilde does not fail to show that sometimes Dorian is remorseful, albeit not remorseful enough. Ultimately, it was Dorian's choice to sever ties with Basil and act upon all of Lord Henry's ideas. It was his choice alone and no one was to be blamed except him.
And it is striking that Dorian knows exactly how to correct his errors and return to the righteous path, and chooses to push it all aside. For years he stares at his portrait, that which "bears the burden of his sins", filled with "that pride of individualism that is half the fascination of sin". Not with regret, but with pride 😩
But Peter Raby, who wrote the afterword of this edition, points out something extremely deep, and I actually think that is one of the reasons, as a reader, I cannot hate Dorian completely. He mentions Wilde's argument stating that: "Each man sees his own sin in Dorian Gray" and then goes on to argue that the lack of specificity of Dorian's sins made readers empathize...and felt that this story is accessible...relatable and powerful.
But Dorian is not repentant. His only concern is that no one should see the mirror of his soul...He is not embarrassed by his deeds at all, he is only concerned that people who tolerate him despite everything he does because of his beauty, innocence and everlasting youth, should see how he actually should have looked after so many years of living like he did. It is as Basil tells him on the night he murders him: "I can't believe the rumours...Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man's face. It cannot be concealed."
Basil is sceptical nonetheless. He tell hims that "one has right to judge of a man by the effect he has over his friends.." and Dorian's effect on all the young men he befriended was detrimental.
When Basil sees the portrait, he realizes how he himself had sinned horribly by loving Dorian too much and by devoting himself to one person too much. He prays and asks Dorian to pray...but Dorian's goes crazy at this point.
The murder of Basil Hallward...Dorian cannot get over it. And it is actually a redeeming thing that he feels so much regret...until he chooses not to turn himself in.
But he sure is feeling all the guilt of his crime...Nothing gives him pleasure anymore.
"Like the painting of a sorrow,
A face without a heart..."
He confesses to Henry, who really is, at this point, a detestable character to me, that the soul "is a terrible reality...it can be bought and sold and bartered away. It can be poisoned or made perfect."
He admits to himself that God shouldn't forgive us but should instead should punish us for our iniquities. At this point, he believes he should have been punished for his first sin at the right time so that he wouldn't have lead such a terrible life, unafraid of the consequences.
And then he blames his youth and his beauty...they had ruined him as well. He thinks of his supposed good deed where he thought he spared a poor peasant girl from humiliation then realizes he did not do it because he intended well, he did it because of vanity, hypocrisy and curiosity. Nothing more or less. It is at the moment when he sees his portrait look even uglier that he realizes his true intentions.
At this point, Dorian knows that his portrait had been his conscience...he realizes that he cannot become a good person..he loses all hope.
I wonder if Dorian had a good friend at this point who could have pushed him and encouraged him and given him hope, could he have changed? Could he have been saved? Could bearing the burden of his sins have salvaged him from his fate?
When he stabs the painting, his soul and conscience, his true self...he himself dies. It had been him all along, while the face he carried around, young beautiful and innocent, had been a fake.
Wilde's story ends this way, with Dorian's soul finally mirrored on his physical body for all to see. What had been his only fear, the fear of being exposed to the world as a horrible human, was realized, unintentionally, by his own hands.
And that is another reason why I cannot hate Dorian so much. In the end, he was punished.
This is one of the best books I ever read, the only book I ever re-read (excluding Harry Potter) and a book that I cannot recommend strongly enough for everyone to read.
May 5, 2013
-On The Picture of Dorian Gray:
Dear Professors and Instructors who have thus far withheld this classic from my literary education: you are all bastards. This book embodies all that I love about literature and language.
Dorian Gray is an angelic youth in Victorian London, who captivates Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton with his fine looks and overall innocence. A portrait by Basil is commissioned, and Dorian absently wishes he could preserve the portrait's beauty in himself.
His wish comes true, but with consequences.
The portrait reflects all of his sins and vices, becoming a grotesque caricature of Dorian's increasingly corrupt lifestyle. Meanwhile, Dorian maintains his youth and beauty, despite his forays into London's debauched underworld.
The portrait remains, antagonizing him, and driving him to madness, and his eventual death.
Wilde's writing is flowery, but that is not a fault; indeed, that's why I am always drawn to him. Rather, the verbose richness of his descriptions and sociopolitical musings are always captivating (at least to me). The Picture of Dorian Gray touches on marriage, sex, drugs, murder, and any and all societal matters you think would affect a dandy like Dorian, and always does so with style and grace.
My friends have critiqued this book for not delving enough into Dorian's sins, but I don't get that. Wilde's writing is coy, but this makes Dorian's choices all the more intriguing to me. What does make all the ladies whisper and avert their eyes, and the men look upon him with shame and revulsion? Are the homoerotic elements of his association with Lord Henry ever consummated? Wilde is playing with his readers, and I love that. And, my god, the man was imprisoned for indecency, I think he's found other ways of breaking the mold of civility.
And the ending. Oh, the ending. It's iconic, it's ridden with anxiety and terror, and it is oh so perfect. #thatisall
-On The Happy Prince:
As described by a coworker, it's like Oscar Wilde doing Hans Christian Andersen. And yes, that is a double entendre. Lovely.
-On The Birthday of the Infanta:
Weird and melancholy, just how I like 'em. But... meh. It doesn't feel as fully realized as Wilde's other works. Not my favorite, but definitely not a bad story.
-On Lord Arthur Savile's Crime:
This is the first Oscar Wilde story I ever read, and it definitely piqued my interest in the dark side of the Victorian Era. Superstitions are rendered farcical as Lord Arthur Savile is led to believe that he must commit murder before he can marry the love of his life. You'll be laughing at a killing spree! A rollicking good time.
Buy this title from Powell's Books.
Dear Professors and Instructors who have thus far withheld this classic from my literary education: you are all bastards. This book embodies all that I love about literature and language.
Dorian Gray is an angelic youth in Victorian London, who captivates Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton with his fine looks and overall innocence. A portrait by Basil is commissioned, and Dorian absently wishes he could preserve the portrait's beauty in himself.
His wish comes true, but with consequences.
The portrait reflects all of his sins and vices, becoming a grotesque caricature of Dorian's increasingly corrupt lifestyle. Meanwhile, Dorian maintains his youth and beauty, despite his forays into London's debauched underworld.
The portrait remains, antagonizing him, and driving him to madness, and his eventual death.
Wilde's writing is flowery, but that is not a fault; indeed, that's why I am always drawn to him. Rather, the verbose richness of his descriptions and sociopolitical musings are always captivating (at least to me). The Picture of Dorian Gray touches on marriage, sex, drugs, murder, and any and all societal matters you think would affect a dandy like Dorian, and always does so with style and grace.
My friends have critiqued this book for not delving enough into Dorian's sins, but I don't get that. Wilde's writing is coy, but this makes Dorian's choices all the more intriguing to me. What does make all the ladies whisper and avert their eyes, and the men look upon him with shame and revulsion? Are the homoerotic elements of his association with Lord Henry ever consummated? Wilde is playing with his readers, and I love that. And, my god, the man was imprisoned for indecency, I think he's found other ways of breaking the mold of civility.
And the ending. Oh, the ending. It's iconic, it's ridden with anxiety and terror, and it is oh so perfect. #thatisall
-On The Happy Prince:
As described by a coworker, it's like Oscar Wilde doing Hans Christian Andersen. And yes, that is a double entendre. Lovely.
-On The Birthday of the Infanta:
Weird and melancholy, just how I like 'em. But... meh. It doesn't feel as fully realized as Wilde's other works. Not my favorite, but definitely not a bad story.
-On Lord Arthur Savile's Crime:
This is the first Oscar Wilde story I ever read, and it definitely piqued my interest in the dark side of the Victorian Era. Superstitions are rendered farcical as Lord Arthur Savile is led to believe that he must commit murder before he can marry the love of his life. You'll be laughing at a killing spree! A rollicking good time.
Buy this title from Powell's Books.
October 16, 2023
"Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name man gave to their mistakes."
"The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbor with the possession of those virtues that are likely to be a benefit to us."
"To be good is to be in harmony with one's self,(...)"
"When a woman marries again, it is because she detested her first husband. When a man marries again, it is because he adores his first wife. Women try their luck; men risk theirs."
und noch viele interessante Stellen mehr...
Das Buch war sehr gut geschrieben und man kam echt gut voran.
Toller Schreibstil. Kann es wirklich jedem Empfehlen es auf englisch zu lesen (ist in einfacher Sprache geschrieben).
Gedanken:
- Man hat automatisch eine Hassliebe zu Lord Henry, am Anfang mehr am Ende weniger.
- Man sollte seine Information nicht nur aus einer Quelle ziehen, sonst Ergebnis: Dorian
- Wieso tut er das Basil an??? Er hätte einfach mit ihm reden sollen, von Anfang an.
- Pretty privilege is a thing.
- Gibt es "Liebe auf den ersten Blick"?
- Der Mensch will immer mehr haben.
- Älter werden ist etwas schönes.
"The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbor with the possession of those virtues that are likely to be a benefit to us."
"To be good is to be in harmony with one's self,(...)"
"When a woman marries again, it is because she detested her first husband. When a man marries again, it is because he adores his first wife. Women try their luck; men risk theirs."
und noch viele interessante Stellen mehr...
Das Buch war sehr gut geschrieben und man kam echt gut voran.
Toller Schreibstil. Kann es wirklich jedem Empfehlen es auf englisch zu lesen (ist in einfacher Sprache geschrieben).
Gedanken:
- Man hat automatisch eine Hassliebe zu Lord Henry, am Anfang mehr am Ende weniger.
- Man sollte seine Information nicht nur aus einer Quelle ziehen, sonst Ergebnis: Dorian
- Wieso tut er das Basil an??? Er hätte einfach mit ihm reden sollen, von Anfang an.
- Pretty privilege is a thing.
- Gibt es "Liebe auf den ersten Blick"?
- Der Mensch will immer mehr haben.
- Älter werden ist etwas schönes.
July 29, 2021
"The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame."
First of all Wilde's writing is gorgeous.
I mean:
"I want to make Romeo jealous. I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter and grow sad. I want a breath of our passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain."
"Life is a question of nerves, and fires, and slowly built-up cells in which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams."
The slow decline of Dorian is so enthralling. The beginning of the story it is spring, everything is new, and Dorian in his beautiful youth and then comes the slow decline. Even the weather deteriorates as we go and becomes foggy and instead of searching for beauty our main character searches for ugliness. Like Basil, I would love to know what parts of himself Wilde put into his characters.
"All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their own peril."
First of all Wilde's writing is gorgeous.
I mean:
"I want to make Romeo jealous. I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter and grow sad. I want a breath of our passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain."
"Life is a question of nerves, and fires, and slowly built-up cells in which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams."
The slow decline of Dorian is so enthralling. The beginning of the story it is spring, everything is new, and Dorian in his beautiful youth and then comes the slow decline. Even the weather deteriorates as we go and becomes foggy and instead of searching for beauty our main character searches for ugliness. Like Basil, I would love to know what parts of himself Wilde put into his characters.
"All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their own peril."
October 24, 2023
I wonder who said the word 'sins' and 'morality' so much to Oscar Wilde for this man to be so hurt by it. The whole book feels like a response to this entire stigma of such a straight line between what's good and what's supposed to be bad— which Oscar Wilde is so obviously sick of, and that's why this book is still an icon.
He's talented, he's got ideas and he ain't wrong about one thing… the fact that he's a badass despite his scandalous ideals. I would like to have a chat with Mr. Wilde and wonder which one of us would be the most offended by the other. I feel like I'd be terribly scared of him and he'd be tremendously bored of me without even saying a word. Let's celebrate a raging gay man who's sick and completely enamored by life and people.
He's talented, he's got ideas and he ain't wrong about one thing… the fact that he's a badass despite his scandalous ideals. I would like to have a chat with Mr. Wilde and wonder which one of us would be the most offended by the other. I feel like I'd be terribly scared of him and he'd be tremendously bored of me without even saying a word. Let's celebrate a raging gay man who's sick and completely enamored by life and people.
October 13, 2016
The Picture of Dorian Gray: 5 stars
The Happy Prince: 3 stars
The Birthday of the Infanta: 3 stars
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: 4 stars
Avg. rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.
The Happy Prince: 3 stars
The Birthday of the Infanta: 3 stars
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: 4 stars
Avg. rating: 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.
February 17, 2021
Oscar Wilde is, of course, a wonderful writer. His writing is cynical, philosophical, and witty. I like that his style is also very clear and easy to grasp, while still maintaining beautiful prose. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a brilliant, thought-provoking classic, and his two fairytale short stories (Happy Prince and Infanta) were very nice and bittersweet. I wasn’t a fan of the last short, (Arthur Savile), I think I’ll need to give it another try soon. But overall, Wilde is a fascinating writer and I’d like to read more of his work!
The Picture of Dorian Gray: 4 stars
The Happy Prince: 4 stars
The Birthday of the Infanta: 3 stars
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime: 2 stars
The Picture of Dorian Gray: 4 stars
The Happy Prince: 4 stars
The Birthday of the Infanta: 3 stars
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime: 2 stars
February 12, 2018
This is my first time reading this since high school and it's definitely more misogynist and anti-Semitic than I recall...
But, you know, still funny and insightful. Would watch Dorian Gray's reality television show.
But, you know, still funny and insightful. Would watch Dorian Gray's reality television show.
January 27, 2018
I really don't understand why it took me so long to finish this book.
Wilde sure knew how to write great stories.
Wilde sure knew how to write great stories.
July 19, 2022
Dorian Gray got what he MFing deserved *mic drop*
August 26, 2022
Oh, how much i love this book.
Dorian Gray - the face of beauty and the soul of sin. Oscar Wilde has proven time over time that he is one of history's greatest authors and The picture of Dorian Gray only confirms that. The book explores the secrets of the soul, the power of a beautiful face, the connection between the artist and the art and, well, the love that dare not speak it's name.
The picture of Dorian Gray is an easy to read book, but a hard one to analyse. Every conversation is meaningful and could be quoted in a lot of different instances, something that Oscar Wilde has done himself.
So what happens when beauty and purity meet the cruel reality that is life?
Dorian Gray is introduced as a god-like creature whose face has never seen evil. When such a young and impressionable person is met with an opinionated clever man, like Lord Henry, his identity is bound to experience a change.
"And unselfish people are colourless"
Purity is gray and lifeless, but beauty is the strongest thing in the world if one knows how to properly deal with it.
The picture of Dorian Gray is a must read for anyone who values their existence.
I'll add that this edition of the book also contains three stories by Oscar Wilde. For them, I have nothing meaningful to say, except add a quote that truly fascinated me.
"The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast" - lord arthur savile's crime
Hugs, Yana
Dorian Gray - the face of beauty and the soul of sin. Oscar Wilde has proven time over time that he is one of history's greatest authors and The picture of Dorian Gray only confirms that. The book explores the secrets of the soul, the power of a beautiful face, the connection between the artist and the art and, well, the love that dare not speak it's name.
The picture of Dorian Gray is an easy to read book, but a hard one to analyse. Every conversation is meaningful and could be quoted in a lot of different instances, something that Oscar Wilde has done himself.
So what happens when beauty and purity meet the cruel reality that is life?
Dorian Gray is introduced as a god-like creature whose face has never seen evil. When such a young and impressionable person is met with an opinionated clever man, like Lord Henry, his identity is bound to experience a change.
"And unselfish people are colourless"
Purity is gray and lifeless, but beauty is the strongest thing in the world if one knows how to properly deal with it.
The picture of Dorian Gray is a must read for anyone who values their existence.
I'll add that this edition of the book also contains three stories by Oscar Wilde. For them, I have nothing meaningful to say, except add a quote that truly fascinated me.
"The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast" - lord arthur savile's crime
Hugs, Yana
July 25, 2024
"there is something fatal about a portrait. it has a life of its own."
there's a transfer from artist, to sitter, and to canvas. from a blank canvas, the artist crafts an image that they hope captures the moment perfectly. this novel is about the transfer of the painstaking work of perfection, blind, sheer admiration, and the question of life vs. art.
"so you think that it is only god who sees the soul, basil? draw that curtain back, and you will see mine."
guilty conscience. haunting of the past. torment of the soul.
"a burnt child loves the fire"
there's a transfer from artist, to sitter, and to canvas. from a blank canvas, the artist crafts an image that they hope captures the moment perfectly. this novel is about the transfer of the painstaking work of perfection, blind, sheer admiration, and the question of life vs. art.
"so you think that it is only god who sees the soul, basil? draw that curtain back, and you will see mine."
guilty conscience. haunting of the past. torment of the soul.
"a burnt child loves the fire"
May 26, 2025
this was an anxiety-inducing ride. i loved the final chapters. dorian gray is a crazy complex character and i have many more thoughts to process but yeah, i loved this book.
the happy prince was a good, heartwarming story. it brought me back to grade school. the infanta story was quite nice and dark. and the lord arthur story was good, i think.
overall, oscar wilde's writing style is quite accessible and i love when he goes on into further details when describing things. and his characters are either deranged or weird.
the happy prince was a good, heartwarming story. it brought me back to grade school. the infanta story was quite nice and dark. and the lord arthur story was good, i think.
overall, oscar wilde's writing style is quite accessible and i love when he goes on into further details when describing things. and his characters are either deranged or weird.
February 19, 2021
Ya know it was a bit of a slog. I enjoyed the overall story of Dorian Gray but he got a little too into describing fanciful opulence. I know his works included in this collection were satirical but it still wasn’t doing any favors for me when he described all the rich hobbies of the characters. Of the three stories I’d say The Happy Prince might be my favorite but then God comes into play at the end and I’m like ehh. But his dialogue and witty lines were top notch for sure.
September 9, 2023
Exquisitely written thriller. His coming of age story depicts that of a more metaphorical man that suffers from the impediments of his never-changing attractiveness despite his age. The novel connects the invisible gap between youth and youthful sins, whilst describing a more complex relationship between the two.
January 7, 2022
Very simple, probably the best book I’ve ever read.
February 22, 2024
Fantastic. 6 stars. Lord Henry is a truly splendid anti-hero and Wilde is a genius at setting up an expectation and then delivering something a little different and lot better. It left me absolutely satisfied.
The short stories that followed were delightful. Elegantly constructed like Chekov, but not so depressing.
The short stories that followed were delightful. Elegantly constructed like Chekov, but not so depressing.
July 3, 2024
honestly one of the greatest masterpieces ive read
June 26, 2021
A handsome naïve young man, Dorian Gray, sits with a painter Henry Basil who adores him to get his portrait done. He meets Basil's friend there, who guides Dorian through towards the world of sins and pleasures. Dorian makes an uncanny wish that the portrait would take on all his wrinkles as he ages and the effects of his sins. Once he realizes that his strange wish has come true, he is driven by selfish motives. He commits sins, knowing that there won't be any repercussions on himself. But once it starts haunting him, he finds a way to free himself off it.
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