The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde
ages: adult
First sentence: “The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.”
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If I’m being completely honest, I wanted to read this book because of the movie Dorian Gray that should be coming out sometime this year (at least in the US). It caught my fancy, and I realized that while I’ve seen several adaptations of The Importance of Being Earnest, I’ve never actually read any Oscar Wilde. Shame on me.

And, after finishing this, really shame on me. Wilde is a superb writer. Terribly funny — that wonderful British dry wit you have to love, self-deprecating and dismissive — and, at the same time, incredibly thought-provoking. I found that I couldn’t stop thinking about this book.

For the three of you that don’t know the plot, I may just have to spare you. I’ve tried writing a plot summary of the book, but it’s not working. It’s about the characters — Dorian, the young innocent, who wants to stay young and beautiful, and, in the end, is willing to sell his soul to do so; Basil, the painter who paints the portrait, who pins all of his artistic hopes on Dorian; and Lord Henry, the worldly, snide, philosophic man who leads Dorian — whether intentionally or unintentionally — into a hedonistic lifestyle that ends up corrupting Dorian.

It’s also about the ideas: the place of beauty and art in our lives, the purpose of beauty in our lives, in addition to the moral weight of art, as well as whether or not we should be asking art to carry our morality or for artists to express our morality. It’s heady stuff, ideas that begged to be discussed long and thoroughly over a good dinner. (Hmm… food’s still on my mind.)

That’s not to say Dorain Gray is an easy read; it’s not. It can be funny — Lord Henry, with his posturing and glib opinions often made me laugh — but it’s also incredibly creepy and highly disturbing. Which, honestly, is as is should be. If it were just glib and funny, then I think much of the impact of what Wilde wanted to get across. I can see how this would not have gone over well in Victorian England; Wilde is putting forth ideas that are challenging to our expectations of art and morality, and challenges of that sort never go over well.

Still, it’s an incredible book, a fascinating book. And I can only hope the movie can begin to do it some justice. (*fingers crossed*)

12 thoughts on “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

  2. I am so glad you enjoyed this! Wilde is very entertaining, and funny- in a backhanded kind of way since his subject matter leaves you feeling like you've been slapped. I agree with you that it's not an easy read. He makes you work for it.

    I had no idea about the movie. That's something to look forward to!

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  5. Imdb.com says mid-August. I'm hoping that's right, and I'm hoping that it's not a piddly art-house release that we probably won't get here in Wichita. *crossing fingers*

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  6. So glad that you enjoyed this one it is such a classic. I love Wilde's stage plays as well. I didn't know that there was another film coming out – I have seen the one with Colin Firth and enjoyed it quite a lot.

    Great post, thanks for sharing

    Hannah

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  7. Aw, I love Oscar Wilde! Your edition of the book may have told you this, but in case it didn't: Oscar Wilde said that in writing the book, Basil was like what Oscar Wilde thought he himself was like; Dorian Gray was what he wished to be; and Lord Henry was what the world perceived him as. Casts an interesting light on the book, no?

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  8. I absolutely loved this book when I finally read it a year or so ago (after having it on my shelf for nearly a decade). I hope to read it again sometime because, as you mentioned, it's not an easy read and is filled with so many nuances and layers to explore.

    I really hope the film does the book justice. I've read some mixed reviews from the UK release but generally it was well received.

    Thanks for sharing your great review of the novel.

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  12. I listened to this one on audio and was really disappointed. But I think it would have left an entirely different impression if I had actually read it–so I plan, sometime, to do just that. Thanks for giving me the added incentive.

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