loved the writing in this book immensely. the vivid descriptions were wonderful and you get totally immersed in the victorian era. the aphorisms and wit present in the conversations, especially with lord henry, were so fun to read.

gives you lots to chew on, i annotated this one so much.

I really, really loved this one. Every page had something quotable and thought provoking. I loved the characters --their ticks and quirks. I love the underlying theme of this story. It's definitely something that has left an impression on me, and I love that in a book.

Beyond expectations.

I reread this one with my AP seniors, who haven't been too enthusiastic about what we'd been reading so far. I chose this one because I thought they would respond to the length. And they did, with the help of guided reading questions. The prose is beautiful. Lord Henry's quips and Dorian's obsession with beauty and sensation at all costs is still quite relevant, perhaps even more so not than when it was first written. I did find myself uncomfortable at times with Lord Henry's declarations about women and their inferiority, though interestingly, my students-all girls-did not. Overall, this is a classic for a reason; The Picture of Dorian Gray still speaks to the shallowness in the world and the infatuation many have for surface glamour and bling. I recommend turning off the fake "reality" TV and pick up this book instead. See where such narcissistic behavior leads.

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.

Very simple, probably the best book I’ve ever read.

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.

gay, gory, and deliciously ghastly

Amazing reflections on beauty, time, art, and potential.

With all this in mind, I do believe Dorian would love Botox, it's shocking to see all his life being made and ruined which makes us reflect on the soul and art, about how we can't have one without the other, or how important is to be young and beautiful?

Without the experience of aging much can change, you will still be frozen in time and your ideals won't change as you experience life, because all your acts are of no consequence.

I was not too fond of some misogynistic parts in the book but I kept in mind that 1891, things were that bad. That also made me hate Lord Henry for half of the book, but it wasn't his fault Dorian was corrupted after all it was Dorian's choice to become what he became.

In many ways, I still believe in the power of beauty and its influence on people, but being beautiful sometimes means being naive, and being young most times means being foolish and blaming others for your actions.

so so good !!!! the first story, the titular narrative, the picture of dorian gray was very enticing to say the least, i was very surprised when i found out that it was written in the late 1800s because most of the conversations and ‘theories’ could very much be applied today. overall, it was an easy read and i enjoyed it very much.

the second story, the happy prince, was also very very good, a very on point take on marxism and naiveté

third story, the birthday of the infanta is equally as fascinating, i think it did the concept of expectations and blindness justice

the last, lord arthur savile’s crime, tells a story about destiny and how a man clearly is capable of anything just to get what he wants

oscar wilde is magnificent !!

This book was slightly slow to start/really get into, and at first I deplored the characters' perspective and it kind of made me want to stop (why am I using my precious time reading about sexist people yknow). I later found out this was the point of the book lol. There were some really beautiful and thought provoking passages that I marked in my book. It also felt like a good brain exercise to read something less modern for a change.
yeah it made me think about hedonsim and pleasure and goodness and i think anything thought provoking is good

“His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery. What was youth at best? A green, an unripe time, a time of shallow moods, and sickly thoughts. Why had he worn its livery? Youth had spoiled him.” The tale of Dorian Gray is a true literary masterpiece written by Oscar Wilde. It explores many themes of life and poses deep philosophical questions on the nature of humanity and the depravity of mankind. Dorian Gray is a young man of remarkable appearance…beautiful, as is often stated. His personality is magnetic, causing virtually anyone who meets him to instantly fall under his charm. Later, the term domination is often referred to as the manner in which Dorian exercises his influence. He is the friend of an artist, Basil Hallward. Basil is nearly obsessed with the apparent physical perfection of Dorian’s physical appearance, which inspires him to paint portraits of Dorian. Basil’s friend Lord Henry “Harry” Wotton is an aristocratic libertine who is introduced to Dorian on the day Basil completes his piece de resistance painting of Dorian. Harry’s bohemian philosophy has an immediate impact upon Dorian, who adopts his epicurean pursuit of pleasure and experience at once as his life’s guiding principle.

The portrait is acclaimed by all three men as a true artistic masterpiece, with Harry offering to purchase it. Yet, Basil insists he is giving it to Dorian. The beauty of the artwork affects Dorian tremendously, and he vocalizes the wish that rather than the painting remaining a temporal snapshot of his youth and beauty, that property should be transferred to his person, while the painting takes on the worries and cares of age, folly, and sin during the course of his life. Oddly, Dorian soon discovers that when he commits some act of evil, the effects are reflected in changes to the painting, while he remains supernaturally untouched by the impact of any negativity in which he engages.

As can be imagined, Dorian becomes ensnared by this charmed life in which he can behave with apparent impunity, his portrait bearing all marks of abuse that cause one to age and become careworn. While those around him grow older, losing their youthful charms, youth springs anew each day for Dorian Gray.

Much has been written about the purposes behind the story written by Oscar Wilde. From religion to sexuality, and virtually everything in between, speculation on the true intent has run rampant. There are a number of recurring themes throughout the book. Wilde seems to be a man conscious of his own moral failures, questioning how he can be good, because of all of the evil he commits. It’s one of the oldest questions about the meaning of life. Ennui is another idea that pops up regularly. It is likely safe to assume Wilde struggled with this concept about his own mortality and existence. This is a beautifully written work, employing Wilde’s brilliant grasp of the English language.

This famous story has its fascinating, creative twist at the beginning. Young and beautiful Dorian Gray is being painted by his friend Basil Hallward, a typical British artist who is inspired by something in Dorian. Basil is obsessed by Dorian and the full-size portrait uncannily captures Dorian's appeal. As he is finishing the painting, Basil and Dorian are visited by Lord Henry Wotton. Wotton is a thoroughly modern man for the late 1800s, erudite with a lot of sarcasm and paradoxical wit. Dorian is taken by Wotton's outlook on life, indulging hedonism and cynicism. Wotton makes a comment about how the picture will always be young and beautiful while Dorian is fated to age and decay. Dorian makes a prayerful wish that the picture would age and decay while he himself would stay young and pure in appearance. Wotton's influence encourages this selfish attitude in Dorian and gives him a curiosity to try every possible pleasure in life. As Dorian indulges in the morally questionable and certainly corrupt behavior, the picture starts to change, taking on the demeanor of cruelty and ugliness that is thought to be the natural result of living a profligate life. He hides the painting in an upstairs room, fearing anyone else will see this portrait of his soul. One corruption leads to another. Dorian leaves behind his friendship with Basil and embraces the philosophical and artistic wantonness that Wotton inspires.

The book is a classic of English literature because it examines both the artistic life and the moral life. Wilde's own personality is easy to imagine in various aspects of various characters, trying to live an ultra-modern life without the burdens of the older generation's tastes and morality. Dorian's steady corruption is palpable to the reader, though Dorian is constantly distancing himself from his deeds and his situation. Others in the book, with their superficial appreciation (especially Wotton) refuse to see the real Dorian because his surface appearance is so innocent and wholesome. Dorian descends into a life of paranoia and horror while he tries to maintain a light-hearted indifference. In spite of his efforts and a lot of luck, he cannot escape the psychological penalties of his sins.

The only parts I found a bit dull were the passages about things Dorian had collected, like tapestries and fabric, that are enumerated and described in excruciating detail. It's a bit like all the cetacean biology and whaling techniques that go on and on in Moby Dick. That's a classic too, in spite of the excess verbiage.

Highly recommended--this is up there is Dracula and Frankenstein as great fantastic horror novels.

This book was discussed on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast #317. Check it out!