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The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde,

Robert Mighall (Introduction)

Start date: January 1, 2026

Finish date: February 28, 2026

Discussion: The Horror of it All

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The Horror of it All

* 2026 Horror Reading Schedule
By Book Nerd , Purple Book Horse · 4 posts · 16 views

last updated 18 hours, 16 min ago

* 2025 Horror Reading Schedule
By Book Nerd , Purple Book Horse · 4 posts · 120 views

last updated Aug 21, 2025 07:16AM

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What Members Thought

Aug 03, 2013 Diane rated it really liked it

Absorbing story about the duality of nature. At the time
of it's publication in 1890 Wilde was leading a double life.
Having been married for 6 years and devoted to his children
he was more and more wantonly abandoning himself to reckless
behaviour. There are so, so many reviews, I just thought I
would concentrate on comparisons between the novel and the
1945 film.
"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked
about and that is not being talked about". Reading this book,
all of the charac ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2020 midnightfaerie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, literature, rory-gilmore

When I first began this I couldn't tell if it was profound thought or self-indulged drivel. I realize now, it's a little bit of both, but brilliant in its own right. Let me explain. I started out feeling as though Wilde was creating an obvious autobiography of a middle aged crisis that turned cautionary tale. It was this, but much more as well. It was a look into the heart of a man who saw his sin and yet couldn't reconcile with it, or rather wouldn't. The statements and thoughts were deep but i ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Aug 29, 2024 Shirley (stampartiste) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-in-2024, read-classics, read-date-unknown, published-1899-and-earlier, challenge-bingo-2024

This was a very oppressive story for me. It was truly an uncomfortable journey down the Dark Side of human experience.

When we first meet Dorian Gray, he is a beautiful and innocent young man who sits for the artist, Basil Hallward. During one of his modeling sessions, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, the Hedonistic friend of Hallward. Lord Henry finds great joy and meaning in questioning every moral and societal norm. When he meets Dorian, it becomes his mission to corrupt Dorian. Sadly, the dege ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2012 Cleo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, z-back-to-the-classics-challenge-20, z-a-classics-challenge-2012, victorian-challenge-2012

A very disturbing book. Through his characters, Wilde turns everything good, worthwhile and pure on it's head and uplifts debauchery and perversions for the sake of gaining pleasure. None of the characters inspire much sympathy as all are fixated entirely on themselves: Wooton worships his power over Dorian, Basil needs Dorian to further his art and Dorian worships himself. However, I like the literary skills of Wilde and, while many parts I found were a trifle overdone, he gives you much to thi ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 29, 2020 Lorena rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: rory-gilmore-read, favorites

The story is very well crafted. It definitely gives the reader a lot of material to analyze. I am sure it's one of those books that stays with you years after reading it. I think it will stay on my "top 5" list :) ...more

3 likes · Like · see review