The Picture of Dorian Gray - 5☆
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime - 4☆
The Happy Prince - 5☆
The Birthday of the Infanta - 3☆

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame."

-On The Picture of Dorian Gray:

Dear Professors and Instructors who have thus far withheld this classic from my literary education: you are all bastards. This book embodies all that I love about literature and language.

Dorian Gray is an angelic youth in Victorian London, who captivates Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton with his fine looks and overall innocence. A portrait by Basil is commissioned, and Dorian absently wishes he could preserve the portrait's beauty in himself.

His wish comes true, but with consequences.

The portrait reflects all of his sins and vices, becoming a grotesque caricature of Dorian's increasingly corrupt lifestyle. Meanwhile, Dorian maintains his youth and beauty, despite his forays into London's debauched underworld.

The portrait remains, antagonizing him, and driving him to madness, and his eventual death.

Wilde's writing is flowery, but that is not a fault; indeed, that's why I am always drawn to him. Rather, the verbose richness of his descriptions and sociopolitical musings are always captivating (at least to me). The Picture of Dorian Gray touches on marriage, sex, drugs, murder, and any and all societal matters you think would affect a dandy like Dorian, and always does so with style and grace.

My friends have critiqued this book for not delving enough into Dorian's sins, but I don't get that. Wilde's writing is coy, but this makes Dorian's choices all the more intriguing to me. What does make all the ladies whisper and avert their eyes, and the men look upon him with shame and revulsion? Are the homoerotic elements of his association with Lord Henry ever consummated? Wilde is playing with his readers, and I love that. And, my god, the man was imprisoned for indecency, I think he's found other ways of breaking the mold of civility.

And the ending. Oh, the ending. It's iconic, it's ridden with anxiety and terror, and it is oh so perfect. #thatisall

-On The Happy Prince:

As described by a coworker, it's like Oscar Wilde doing Hans Christian Andersen. And yes, that is a double entendre. Lovely.

-On The Birthday of the Infanta:

Weird and melancholy, just how I like 'em. But... meh. It doesn't feel as fully realized as Wilde's other works. Not my favorite, but definitely not a bad story.

-On Lord Arthur Savile's Crime:

This is the first Oscar Wilde story I ever read, and it definitely piqued my interest in the dark side of the Victorian Era. Superstitions are rendered farcical as Lord Arthur Savile is led to believe that he must commit murder before he can marry the love of his life. You'll be laughing at a killing spree! A rollicking good time.

Buy this title from Powell's Books.