The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty.
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity.
It ranks as one of Wilde’s most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.
I know Oscar Wilde is defined as one of the literary “classic” authors…but I have never read any of his work.
I mean…who gets to define what “classic” is anyways? Kind of telling that ALLLL the identified “classic” authors have been European white men. 😑 I know I’ve gone on and on about this before so I’ll spare yall me hopping onto my soapbox yet again and get on with my review.
Did I enjoy this book?
Yes I sure did.
Did my attention wander at times?
Yes it sure did.
Am I kinda unsure of some of what I read in here?
Yes I sure am.
Was it an entertaining and somewhat reflective read?
Yes it sure was.
This novel was heavy on words, especially conversation…which I LOOOOOVE.
The audio version was lovely because it was ALL British accents and dialect, which I ALSO love.
I’ll tell yall though….Dorian is a vain dick.
Ohhhh some of the things he says and the way he interacted with his “beloved” actress had me like 😑🤬
BUT…he also has regrets of his bad behaviors after the fact…sometimes WAY TOO LONG after the fact…but he does indeed have some shreds of guilt floating around his soul.
Lord Henry though….he is ALSO a vain dick but seems to have zero regrets about it. In fact, he has plenty of self made validation for his misogynistic self centered behavior. That dude had me like 🙄 the ENTIRE book.
The idea of endless youth and beauty is the main theme of this book….how it seems to be so alluring and wonderful, but the reality of it does not match up to the expectation. (surprise, surprise)
It is never clear exactly HOW Dorian Gray stays beautiful and young while his painting changes and ages…but it is a fascinating story to watch unfold.
Does his painted image CAUSE him to be evil OR does it show the evil already within…..and what does true BEAUTY really mean???
The concept of art speaking a language that we as humans can not express is addressed in these pages, as well as the bonding connection between an artist and the subjects of their art.
The story is lightly macabre and just dark enough….such an intriguing and creepy read.
It was a PERFECT time for me to read this, as I am still an actor in a very unique, immersive dark art interactive exhibit for this spooky season. (go Google Screamland Fright at the Museum and you can check it out!!)
The ending was just SPECTACULAR…the last couple of sentences were just the BEST way to complete the story.
Totes enjoyed the mess outta this one, yall.