Why I chose to read this book:
1. Since I have self-appointed February 2022 as "Classics Month", I thought I would start with this particular story since I own a hardcopy; and,
2. I first learned of this story in the 1980s from a satiric sketch performed by Canadian comedic duo, Wayne and Shuster, called "The Picture of Dorian Wayne" in which the spoof revolved around Dorian's wish to remain forever slim while his portrait would gain weight! (If only!

I really don't know why goodreads deleted the rating of my favourite book, but as it seems it happened?! O_o

WTH? *lol*
Well anyway, of course it's a five star, did you expect any different? XD

I'll definitely reread it one day and will write a proper review, because this book deserves such an awesome in-depth review that 3.500 words certainly won't be enough! *lol*

One day, this screen page is going to crack with my gushing.
That's a promise! ;-P

Another my all time favorite classic is great choice for my flashback Saturday reads!

After finishing the story of Dorian Gray: Four words just appear on your head just like a light bulb’s going on: hedonism, shallowness, vanity, selfishness!

I think it’s more than that: it’s too intense, sad also moving and horrifying story shows how far you go to preserve the infinite beauty. That’s the only quality Dorian has, only value he can define himself with! Dorian’s beauty can be raw, pure and true inspiration for the portraits: even though he already guaranteed to be immortal by being part of this passionate drawing which truly reflects his outer beauty and made Basil Hayward fall for him, he is so adamant to make bargain with the devil not to get aged as his reflection at the portrait gets older at each year.

Incredibly witty dialogues dances with visionary world building, criticism of morality, casual cruelty! This book is real literature feast!

There are tons of passages and quotes I adore.
Here are my favorite ones:

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”

“What of Art?
-It is a malady.
--Love?
-An Illusion.
--Religion?
-The fashionable substitute for Belief.
--You are a sceptic.
-Never! Scepticism is the beginning of Faith.
--What are you?
-To define is to limit.”

“Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different.”

“A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her”

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful.”

“When a woman marries again, it is because she detested her first husband. When a man marries again, it is because he adored his first wife. Women try their luck; men risk theirs.”

Perfect, exquisite, everything that was promised to you. This one has quite a high degree of FOLLOW THROUGH. "Gray" is majestic, about the superficial love for oneself. It poses many questions, & as a book of ideas, perhaps the most innovatory in the latter part of the 19th century of them all, it is exactly what a reader wants. Absolute flawlessness, like the young Dorian himself. It's ESSENTIAL. Indeed, at the pinnacle of Gay Lit. Comes to us in the rare tradition of too-good-to-be-trueness, actually-lives-up-to-the-hype literature canon.

The dialogue is rife with quotable lines... indeed Wilde succeeds in wit-- more so in the existential/anarchistic/dandy lines which are pretty much music to the ear. The quaint descriptions themselves are embedded with sadness--the pace & the story... You really couldn't possibly ask for anything else.

This review is written after having read both versions of The Picture of Dorian Gray. While I enjoyed the direct uncensored version, it was the amended edition that shows the masterly craft of Oscar Wild. And it is not because Wild had tried to refine the blunt expression of his original due to the mounting criticism that it's immoral, but because by adding and rewriting, Wild has displayed his amazing ability to wield the written word masterfully.

Picture of Dorian Gray is the only novel written by Oscar Wilde. The story is about a young and handsome man who exchanges his soul with his portrait for the eternity of youth. This young man who has absolutely no care for his soul and who is full of vanity and pride leads a life only pleasing his senses and absolutely disregarding his wicked conduct towards others in achieving his pleasure.

The story is possible of several interpretations: It can be said as a representation of a double life of Victorian gentlemen. Some interpreters have argued the story was a representation of Oscar Wilde himself. This interpretation must have possibly been drawn from his sexual inclinations and his support for aesthetics. The story can also be said to represent the life of a youth who was corrupted by wicked influence and his struggle to come to terms with the consequences of his actions that have corrupted his soul.

While all these interpretations are true to the work, as a modern-day reader, I would prefer the latter interpretation. In my point of view, it was indeed a story about a young man who becomes a victim of wicked influence and corrupts his soul, and his struggle to come to terms with the consequences of his own wicked conduct.

It is said Wilde's love of aesthetic principles encouraged him to write the story about a youth who is enamored with his beauty and becomes vain and wicked. But if you look into the story carefully there is more depth to the story than what you can understand from its surface. Wilde's brilliant phrase that "senses fill the soul and the soul fills the senses" is the sole concept of the story. Through the story of Dorian Gray, Wilde states that while one's evil actions that were influenced by the senses fill the soul and corrupt it, the soul too fills the senses with remorse and self-reproach. The battle between the two entities is vividly portrayed throughout the story in that the soul takes a stronghold on the person where he can no longer endure the burden of his corrupted life.

The portrait plays a major role in the story. Dorian makes a pact with his picture, and that is for the picture to grow old and for him to stay young as the picture would have. This pact works well and Dorian’s youth is preserved, and he goes on living the same vain and wicked life. The portrait allegorically represents the soul of Dorian. The picture changes its image with every wicked action of its owner till it becomes hideous to look at. This transformation of the picture is the transformation of Dorian’s soul.

The story is based on a brilliant concept. And Oscar Wild’s master craft in building a great and meaningful story is truly amazing. There is no argument about his exceptional skill of writing which combines wit and sarcasm so masterfully. It is amply displayed here. But in this particular work, in addition to wit and sarcasm, there is a rich beauty in his prose as well.

Overall, I enjoyed the read very much. It is a great piece of literature by a great literary master who was undervalued and often misunderstood. And I think this is one work that every reader must read in his/her lifetime.

Un libro interesante. El contexto y la manera en que la historia es narrada es muy buena. Hubo algunas cosas en específico que no me gustaron: el cómo Dorian se enamora de Sibyl tan rápido. En un par de semanas ya estaba totalmente enloquecido por ella. Además, ella se enamoró perdidamente de él la primera vez que lo vio y todo era amor y felicidad muy rápidamente. En mi opinión algo más debió haber pasado ahí, en vez de hacer todo tan rápidamente. Tampoco me gustó que casi al final del libro, cuando James Vane encuentra a Dorian, de repente habían pasado 18 años. No creo que no haya pasado absolutamente nada en 18 años, quizás lo hubiera acortado a 5 o 10 años, era un tiempo más razonable. Lo que sí me gustó fue la caracterización de Henry, está bien narrada. También me gustó la historia en general; el mensaje que entrega Oscar Wilde: el miedo a envejecer, a la muerte y la presión (por parte de Dorian) de conservar su belleza física, y a la vez Wilde transmite que no todo es belleza física en la vida. Interesante libro, aunque con demasiada formalidad entre los personajes, lo que se entiende absolutamente teniendo en cuenta la época en la que se escribió.

I'm not really sure if it is possible to add anything new and of value to this book, as it has been analysed down to the letter in the hundred+ years it has been published for, but I'll try.

The themes in this book seem to be even more important today than its initial release, which is both terrifying and strangely comforting. It shows that no matter how far we progress as a society, we are fundamentally the same as a species.

In a society that seems to value beauty and youth above all else, it is important to get some perspective on the possible repercussions. The story includes fantastical and dramatised elements, but instead of making it less grounded fanciful, it somehow adds to the realism.

The Picture of Dorian Gray served as an important reminder to me to not get caught up in outward appearances and beauty, after all- you should not judge a book by its cover, and similarly a person's exterior does not necessarily reflect their character. While you may think you can see lines of sin in someone's face, many of the most corrupt figures concealed their transgressions behind a lovely smile
*cough* Ted Bundy, Dorian Gray *cough*

This is one of the most quotable books I have ever read, (my copy has more underlines and notes than actual words) and I found myself drawn to so many lines, at times after reading a particularly powerful and thought provoking passage I had to sit in silence and ponder life for a few minutes before I could continue. I feel as though I have only just begun to skim the surface of this book, and to truly understand its message I must reread it, probably multiple times. And I look forward to it.


I am now completely devastated learning that this is Oscar Wilde's only full length novel, so if anyone has recommendations of any further reading of his, or a similar author please let me know!

"Last couple of years have been a mad trip
how'd you look so perfect?
you must have some portraits in the attic."
- Doom Days by Bastille


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What was this book?
to define is to limit


review to come when I can attempt to answer that question

The Picture of Dorian Gray is an absolute classic of Gothic Literature featuring incredibly strong storytelling.

Dark, brooding and featuring, at the time, hella risky content, this book left me with a lot to think about.



A wonderful precursor to modern Horror. Definitely recommend for both long-time Readers of Gothic Fiction, or those looking to get into the genre.

"If it was I who was to be forever young and the picture that was to grow old! There is nothing in the world I would not give ... I would give my soul for that!"

There are a handful of Victorian gothic horror novels where the basic premise is well-known even today, having spawned countless rewrites, dramatisations and imitations. "Frankenstein" is one, "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" is another, and The Picture of Dorian Gray makes a fine third. Few people do not know of the Faustian legend, where a man made a pact with the Devil, to exchange his very soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Variations on the theme persist, and this one has taken on a life of its own, sometimes surpassing the original. We learn with horror and fascination very early on, that a classically perfect, pure, unsullied and beautiful young man is willing to pay the ultimate price for eternal youth and beauty.

"Beauty is a form of genius - is higher than genius, as it need no explanation ... It makes princes of those who have it. Beauty is the wonder of wonders. Only shallow people do not judge by appearances."

Written in 1890 by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray has in turn become a classic of Gothic horror. Yet it is a strange mixture of styles and themes, and in common with its author has had a troubled life, with regenerations. There are currently three versions extant. Which you choose to read, will probably depend partly on which you feel is closer to what the author finally decided was the best. But who is to know at this juncture?

The tragedy of Oscar Wilde's sad and sorry life is well chronicled. Celebrated as a talented writer of witty social satires, his plays, redolent with scathing wit and social commentary, were in high demand, but the general public at the time were shocked by what they saw as the decadent lifestyle of this dandy. Hypocrisy was rife in the late Victorian Age, and society required its heroes to be above reproach. The themes in The Picture of Dorian Gray were thought to be morally ambiguous, shocking and distasteful, and its characters appeared to mirror the indulgent decadent lifestyle of the author himself.

For a long time Oscar Wilde remained unrepentant, aggressively defending his novel. He apparently did not realise what grave danger he was in, at such a point in English culture and society, by being so open. Eventually he was famously tried for "gross indecency", during which many of the accusations directed to him were taken from the book, as if this was a catalogue of his lifestyle and views. He was sentenced to 2 years of hard labour, and when released he was a broken man, penniless and in poor health. His poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" was inspired by his harrowing experience, but he died just 3 years later in 1900, in Paris, where he had fled in disgrace.

So what was the crime for which Victorian society demanded such a terrible penance? Was is it in fact his lifestyle? Or was it his writing? It appears to be both. And given the dissembling, hiding, evading and concealing of secrets he was increasingly having to do in order to survive, it becomes impossible for us to know his true intentions with this novel, even supposing they were clear to himself, and so impossible to say which is the best version to read.

The first version can finally now be read under the title "The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition", published in 2012, over 120 years after it was submitted. It is a more explicit version, in particular, in its graphic homosexual content, and thought to be a veiled exploration of the author's own sexuality. The editor of "Lippincott's magazine" was horrified by such a daring, scandalous manuscript, fearing readers would find the original work "offensive". He edited it heavily before publishing it in 1890, until he made it "acceptable to the most fastidious taste". Oscar Wilde himself did not know of these changes until he saw his work in print. This recently published "Annotated, Uncensored Edition" was edited by Nicholas Frankel, who used the manuscript Wilde submitted to Lippincott's magazine in early 1890, restoring 500 deleted words, and including a further 3,000 of Oscar Wilde's handwritten annotations.

With hindsight, we can see that the magazine's original editor knew his readership well. Even though he had removed so much of the material, the novel still caused a public outcry. It was condemned as being "vulgar", "unclean", "poisonous", "discreditable", and "a sham". It led to Wilde's wry philosophical comment,

"Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry what the world thinks me; Dorian what I would like to be - in other ages, perhaps"

making it clear that he looked forward to a less repressive era than the Victorian one.

The next version to consider is this version referred to; in actuality the first published version, but not the first version Oscar Wilde wrote. It has just 13 chapters, and is often published with footnotes, appendices and explanations of the differences and the novel's history. Sometimes this is the one which is included in anthologies along with some of Oscar Wilde's stories from his 3 volumes of short fiction, and selected poetry.

The third and longest version consists of twenty chapters, and that is the one reviewed here. This book edition was published in 1891. In response to the critics, and the damning British press, Oscar Wilde had toned down the homoerotic elements and added a "Preface", consisting of a series of epigrams or statements, which became famous in its own right, as social and cultural criticism. With these aphorisms the author attempted to set down his views on the nature of Art and Beauty. But it is unclear whether he truly believed what he wrote here, or whether they are just yet more instances of his wit. So often they seem to be said for effect, as with much of his writing; or in this case, to answer and pacify the critics. But with some, such as,

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all"

and also,

"Diversity of opinion about a work of art show that the work is new, complex and vital"

he does not appear to be dissembling at all. His whole life and work seems to indicate that he really believes this, and almost seems to be making these maxims for his own writing. He is grappling toward his own theory of Aesthetics, and justifying his own attitudes to the critics.

This version was extended, by adding 6 chapters making 20 chapters altogether, plus the author made many minor alterations, often just of odd words. The "extra" chapters are:

3, 5, 15, 16, 17 and 18

All of them were designed to expand on the social background, as well as Dorian's ancestry and character, so that his eventual fall from grace would seem more powerful. A new character, James Vane, was introduced. Once this version has been read, he seems to be indispensable to the plot and impetus of the story. Not only does he foreshadow the most brutal of the protagonist's sins, but his honour and worth counterpoint all Dorian's hedonistic impulses. In the added later chapters, there is much ominous foreshadowing, the plot line escalating rapidly, providing a very tense and enjoyable read.

The overall impression of this book, however, is that it is trying to achieve too many aims, and once the reader knows its history, the reason is clear. In some ways it seems to be a patchwork of styles, from which three distinct elements emerge.

When the reader starts the book it is the powerful descriptive writing which impresses. It is possible to admire the beauty of the prose alone, without bothering too much about meanings, overt or hidden. It has been called a "manifesto" of hedonism, and certainly the early chapters have so many passages of beautiful description in Basil's garden - so much emphasis on the senses (even his name is both an aromatic and a flowering herb!) This culminates in chapter 11, which is full of dreamlike illusory beauty and evocative descriptive passages. The lengthy lists of beautiful objects d'art do however feel a little self-indulgent on the author's part, and a distraction from the thrust of the novel itself. It is a kind of a paean to Aesthetics, intended to convey Dorian's succumbing to hedonism. He explores a world of sensual beauty, with different aromas, jewellery, embroideries and types of music, as a result of reading the novel Lord Henry has given him, "Against Nature" by Joris-Karl Huysmans. This is an infamous "decadent" novel about an eccentric recluse who lives in his own virtually created world of Art. There are lengthy discussions on Art and Aesthetics too, where Oscar Wilde is clearly trying to get to grips with a theory of his own, through the debating characters of Basil and Lord Henry.

The book also features many witty aphorisms. In the first chapter alone we have these bon mots by Lord Henry,

"there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about"

"the one charm of marriage is that it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for both parties"

"I can believe anything provided that it is quite incredible"

"a man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies"

Lord Henry nearly always speaks in paradoxes, which is perhaps why people thought he was Oscar Wilde's depiction of himself. Interestingly, the reason for the humour in many of his aphorisms is that they are paraprosdokians, where the second part of the sentence is surprising or unexpected in a humorous way, making us reinterpret the first part.

These early chapters with their streams of witty epigrams are very reminiscent of his plays. In fact it could almost be said that this would have made a better play than a novel. Lord Henry never misses a chance for a waspish, sharp, clever retort. The narrative in these conversations is very entertaining - it really sparkles in places. You may well feel that you have heard some of the epigrams before, in "The Importance of Being Earnest" for instance, and you would be right. Many of the most memorable lines from this, his only novel, ended up getting recycled in his plays.

Then there is the moral compass, and a philosophical and spiritual discourse about the soul, and conscience. Much of this consists of debate between Lord Henry, Dorian and Basil, but feels to the reader very much as if Oscar Wilde is exploring and propounding his own views, trying to work towards and form his own thesis on ethics, spirituality, aesthetics, beauty and Art.

These three distinct threads do not even touch on the area the book's reputation lies on, and that which film-makers want to point up - that of gothic horror. Of course, the story is irresistible. A young impressionable man sells his soul, goes from bad to worse, begins to grow corrupt and indulgent, turning into a voracious predator. He drives an innocent girl to suicide, taints the reputation of those around him, recklessly destroying lives without compunction, until he eventually murders his closest friend. Right until the final paragraph of the book, the contaminated, decaying painting is the reality, and the personal bodily appearance of Dorian is the illusion. It is a chilling portrayal of double lives, secret vices and the depths to which man can sink. It is full of shocks and thrills, and even better, has a supernatural element. No wonder it captures the public's imagination so. But is it an enjoyable or relevant read today?

This is a supremely moral work, a quirky moral fable. From a modern day point of view, when quotations from The Picture of Dorian Gray were apparently taken out of context during his trials, it seems tragic and ignorant. The character of Lord Henry, judged to be Oscar Wilde himself, speaks in paradoxes so much of the time. If one takes this as a prescription for living, then interpretation is impossible. You could make him mean anything you wanted to!

Readers of the novel may be in a quandary as to who is the villain of the piece. Is it the scathing and sarcastic Lord Henry, who expresses a desire to own and mould Dorian, as he has others? When Dorian falls in love, Lord Henry takes the credit for having "created" him, despite his earlier protestations that,

" ... to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. ... He becomes an echo of someone else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him."

He certainly seems an amoral character at best, supremely manipulative in choosing his latest victim to influence, an idle gentleman who has become a hedonist because he is so bored with life, a decadent aristocrat who encourages Dorian to experience any and everything,

"Time is jealous of you, and wars against your lilies and your roses.... The world belongs to you for a season ..."

in a spirit of selfish hedonism and moral depravity. When they first meet, Dorian is twenty, young malleable and naive for his age, but under Lord Henry's influence he becomes narcissistic, with a dangerous sense of invulnerability.

Lord Henry could be seen as the cynical, evil tempter, so if he represents the sinful side, perhaps Basil Hallward will be a good influence. He seems to be a straightforward, upright individual, indignantly expostulating to Lord Henry,

"You never say a moral thing and you never do a wrong thing. Your cynicism is simply a pose."

So how much responsibility does the artist have? In saying,

"I couldn't be happy if I didn't see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me ... He is all my art to me now,"

it is clear that he idolises the young man Dorian, is all but obsessed by him. Basil believes that he has found his muse; someone who will elevate his painting so that his next painting will be a masterpiece. He too is essentially selfish. Is it any wonder that with such adoration and lavish flattery, Dorian is exhilarated by the sense of his own beauty, and would pledge anything in a desperate bid for eternal youth,

"Youth! Youth! There is absolutely nothing in the world having but youth!"

Yet the reader has a lingering doubt. Surely Lord Henry's cynical posturing, his scathing pointed barbs are put in to entertain the reader? They are surely not intended to be taken as a philosophy for life? And in creating Basil Hallward with his overblown prosy style, which is not in the least tempting to Dorian, the author has given us two ends of a spectrum, in their contrasting philosophies, their physical bearing, and in their manner.

Another view is that Dorian himself is bad almost from the start. He has no strength of character, is shallow, very self-centred, empty and devoid of compassion. Unlike Sibyl, who loves him truly, Dorian cannot feel the depth of any emotion. She can no longer act the part of love on stage, yet this appearance is all in all to him. He cruelly rejects her and even after a turnaround yet again rationalises Sybil Vane's suicide to himself, and puts it out of his mind. Any moral complexities are either beyond him or do not enter his thoughts. Yet no person is entirely another's puppet; we are all ultimately accountable for our own actions.

It is difficult to fathom why the author has chosen to write a novel about conscience and degradation, about one man's struggle between aesthetics and morals, when he believes the subject to be irrelevant to Art. Isn't the entire work in contradiction of his statement that, "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book"? This book has morality at its core. The message is clear. Appearances aren't everything, and eventually you can't avoid responsibility for your actions. Nowadays we are possibly more concerned with superficialities than at any other time in the past. Yes, the Victorian Age in England was full of hypocrisy, but now we have all the "gloss" and pretence of transparency. All is hype. Young people are valued for their artificial conformity to an idea of fashion and beauty. It seems ever more pertinent for today's youth, in today's celebrity and appearance-obsessed world.

In much of this novel, the reader feels Oscar Wilde was dissembling to pacify the critics. They said that the work was decadent and contaminating, yet these are themes dealt with by the novel itself. Given the course of his life, perhaps we can never really know Oscar Wilde's true views on morality and Art. So many writers seem to have a different persona for their work, and in real life may have been rather hypocritical. Maybe this is a case where it is not surprising that we do not know and can never get a clear grip on "The Truth"? Or perhaps the real truth was that Oscar Wilde was exploring all areas of his own psyche, and that the characters of Lord Henry - the intellectual cynic, Basil - the artist concerned with aesthetics and beauty, Dorian - the narcissistic fantasist, and the painting itself - his conscience, all represent different aspects of what Oscar Wilde would have called his "soul".

"To him, man was a being with myriad lives and myriad sensations, a complex multiform creature that bore within itself strange legacies of thought and passion, and whose very flesh was tainted with the monstrous maladies of the dead."

"Individualism has really the higher aim. Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality."

"The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for."

I could spend the rest of my life reading this book OVER AND OVER AGAIN and it wouldn't be enough

I finished reading this last night, and afterwards I spent an entire hour staring into space so I could contemplate over the majesty of this work. It left me speechless. This book is exquisite; it is an investigation into the human soul, the power of vanity and the problems of living a life with not a single consequence for your actions. It’s truly powerful stuff.

It begins with a simple realisation, and perhaps an obvious one. But, for Dorian it is completely life changing. He realises that beauty is finite. It won’t last forever. It’s like a flower, temporary and splendid. So if you’re a young man whose appearance is your singular quality, then this is some damn scary news. People only want to be with you because you’re attractive and charming; they want to be near you, and with you, for your looks only.

So when that goes what do you have left?

Nothing.

No friends.

No love.

Only age.

So what do you do? How do you retain your singular quality? Well, the answer is simple, you copy Doctor Faustus (The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus) and sell your soul to the devil!

"How sad it is!" murmured Dorian Gray with his eyes still fixed upon his own portrait. "How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June. . . . If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that -- for that -- I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!"

  

And this is where the real depravity begins. Dorian’s world has no consequences. Everything he does is attributed to the painting, everything. Any regret or malice leaves him quickly and is transferred to the canvas. So he can’t technically feel emotion for an extended period of time; thus, his attitude becomes one of nonchalance. He becomes a shell, an emotionless creature who can only seek his sin: vanity. He surrounds himself with beauty. His house is full of art, brilliant music and every luxury known to man. You name it. Dorian’s got it. Only through seeking new experiences, these pleasures, can Dorian’s being remain animated. I intentionally used the word “being” for Dorian’s body no longer harbours his soul; it’s in the painting. Everything he does is for his own indulgence; he just doesn’t care what affect his presence has on others. The prefect moment is all he lives for.

“I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”

The character of Dorian Gray is an interesting study because he is representative of many things. He shows how a seemingly pure soul can be corrupted if it’s left in a sense of privation and given terrible guidance. Also he is suggestive of the Victorian ideal of the perfect societal image. One must be respectable at all times, and have all the appropriate airs and graces. But behind closed doors, or perhaps even a curtain, anything goes. He is suggestive of the hidden evils of Victorian society as behind the mask was many dark things. For example, the Empire and colonialism to the Victorians was a wonderful thing; it built wealth and structure, but in reality it destroyed culture and subjected peoples to slavery. The same things can be said of child labour, the exploitation of women and terrible working conditions. Everything exists behind a veil of grandeur, and this is no less true for Dorian.

The homosexual suggestions are practically ground-breaking. Wilde wasn’t the only Victorian author to suggest such things. Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde can be read in a similar vein, but Wilde was much more explicit. It’s not cryptic; it’s just plain homosexual lust for all to see on the part of Basil and (perhaps?) even Sir Henry later on. It’s still rather horrific that Wilde was actually arrested for homosexual acts. Silly Victorians. The novel also shows that despite being corrupted to such a degree, to commit murder in such a terrible sense, Dorian (the Victorian man?) isn’t beyond all redemption. He can still come back from his deeds and end it all. The ending was perfection. This has great allegorical meaning.



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This is another of those books I’ve been meaning to read for ages and kept putting off. Although I’ve a particularly good reason for putting this one off, as a very good friend of mine, who died a couple of years ago, spoke to me about this book and I was worried that might make it hard to read for quite other reasons.

He said that when he read this book as a young man it made him certain that he was not homosexual. Now, that in itself was enough to make me curious about the book. This is a book that could only have been written by a homosexual male and it is a book about homosexuality in very many ways. The obsession with youth and beauty is almost a cliché of homosexual obsessions – though the ‘dandy’, the vanity of men, is much more common now, I think. We are increasingly a culture obsessed with appearance. I wonder if reading the book and seeing this obsession was the thing that convinced my friend he was not homosexual, if that was the thing that made him say, ‘no, that’s not me’. Or rather if it was the expression of desire very early in the book for Dorian Gray by Basil, his painter and ardent admirer, that convinced him.

Lord Harry is one of those talking desk calendars, in fact, other than Hamlet, I think it would be hard to find a book with more quotable quotes per page. Some of them are deliciously funny and others are just the sort of illumination that a match struck in a dark room makes.

There were moments in this book, as there are in other works by Wilde, when one gets a feeling of premonition of his fate – it is hard to think of a sadder story than that of the last years of his life, or one that makes more plain how incredibly stupid are societies that punish people for their sexuality. There would be very little I could not forgive Wilde for, particularly after he wrote The Importance of Being Earnest – this book, his only novel, is nearly as good.

Our sins are not quite displayed as clearly on our faces as is assumed here, but our lives do mark us – it is a pity that in our obsession with youth that we forget how beautiful our scars can be and that love, real love, the love that touches us most deeply, is when another accepts our scars and loves us for them, rather than in spite of them.

One of the most quotable quotes in this book is an attack on realism in fiction – “That is the reason I hate vulgar realism in literature. The man who could call a spade a spade should be compelled to use one. It is the only thing he is fit for.” I understand this is hardly a ‘realistic’ story – I mean, it is really a myth and takes liberties with ‘reality’ so as to comment on the world through the form of a myth – but like all such stories centred on something that is clearly ‘over-the-top’ it is contained in a shell that struck me as remarkably realistic. There was no time when I felt Wilde was calling a spade an implement for cultivation or some such silly phrase. His writing is always clear and to the point. The most ‘flowery’ language is perhaps when he is describing the perfumes Gray becomes fascinated in and seeks to understand ‘what there was in frankincense that made one mystical, and in ambergris that stirred one’s passions’, but even this is hardly as romantic or less real than TS Eliot’s (that most ‘modern’ of writers) “In vails of ivory and coloured glass / Unstoppered, lurked her strange synthetic perfumes,” Even at his most flowery, Wilde is hardly ‘unrealistic’.

I came to this book expecting it to be much ‘sillier’ than it turned out to be. I’ve no idea why I thought this – perhaps because I knew that the central idea of the book was that a man has an odd relationship with a painting in that he stays young while the painting gets old. But the book wasn’t nearly as silly as I thought it would be. I really did enjoy it.