This is the first time I've read this classic book....but I've loved Oscar Wilde for as long as I can remember.

There is much to take away from this book. Themes exploring shallowness, selfishness, superficiality, hedonism, morality, and flaws of life and being human.

The dialogue is witty and humorous.
Oscar Wilde had great insights on beauty....
I love this quote:
"But beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration, and destroys the harmony of any face. The moment one sits down to think, one becomes all nose, or all forehead, or something horrid. Look at the successful men in any of the learn professions. How perfectly hideous they are!
Except, of course, in the Church. But then in the Church they don't think. A bishop keeps on saying at the age of 80 what he was told to say when he was a boy of eighteen, and as a natural consequence he always looks absolutely delightful".

Very reflective read....a little like looking into a mirror!

instantly a new all time favorite

This was just so... boring.
I didn't care about anything that was happening at all.
Shame on me I guess lol.

Un excellent classique que je ne connaissais pas. J’ai été envoûtée par la plume de l auteur. Ce roman est tellement d’actualité dans nos sociétés actuelles il y a tellement une course à la jeunesse éternelle. Est-ce qu’un joli minois cache une noirceur d’âme? Pourquoi pas 5 étoiles j’aurais aimé voir la descente aux enfers de Dorian j’aurais aimé que le livre soit plus long. Un petit bijou
Si vous cherchez un bon classique foncez

the thing about any classic is that i’ll only read it voluntarily if it has strong homoerotic undertones

We are living the life of Dorian Gray.

We sacrifice our souls to the illusion of beauty and youth. We are using surgery and photoshopping to hide the real portrait of ourselves growing older and darker as our pleasures feel more and more hollow by sheer repetition. The likes of Bret Easton Ellis, who try to depict the "sinful" lives of modern-day Dorians, are less shocking than tedious and boring.

We are constantly looking for instant gratification to soothe our nerves: new foods, new clothes, new gadgets, new devices, new places. As long as we are on the run, we may forget the true portrait - which we don't hide in our home anymore: we carry it in our pocket. In our smartphones, we collect the sum of our ugly selves like an extended string of photos or an eternal search history. We can delete, but it isn't gone. It is there as a trace of our superficial neediness.

Our smartphone, the portrait of our sold soul. Did you just google your neighbour's salary and position? Did you spend hours trying to find the perfect online diet to lose ten kilos in two days, so that you can fit into the dress you ordered yesterday? Did you have an argument via Whatsapp while at work? It is all there, somewhere, in the back of your head, in the depth of your pocket.

We are Dorian. And sometimes, we show a glimpse of the real portrait by accident. That is when we need to take the novel's most valuable advice:

"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."

Imagine the peace in the world if we could laugh at ourselves? Imagine the freedom...

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.

RIP dorian gray you would've loved botox

"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'll never forgive Oscar Wilde for the painful bore that was Chapter 11.

Damn all the other average and hyped thrillers. Just pick up this book for the spooky season!

The beginning surprised me, the mid shook me and the ending got me like I just survived a horrible war.

White turned black so fast yet it would make you feel like an artist blended it so well (damn the artist) that you actually thought it was meant to be.

I knew I would like this book as I knew it would be gothic, dark and we would be dealing with a narcissist. However, I wasn’t expecting another narcissist who was worst than the narcissist we are obviously talking about. Believe me there’s always someone who inspires someone to become a narcissist.

What I didn’t expect was the story becoming so bloody disturbing in the second half.

You will see the transition of an innocent young man becoming a ruthless criminal. What’s so satisfying about this book is that he wouldn’t be able to escape from seeing all the ugliness of his crimes (physical or mental) on his own face. Literally.

Just read this and don’t you dare Google the ending. You are not doing yourself a favour. Wait for it and get the satisfaction of feeling towards the end of the read that all the darkness would disappear like how a gruesome war is just ending and the world would be becoming brighter for sure.

I just wish all narcissist burn in hell. Amen. Now going to dream a nightmare.

A wonderful book. Wilde was anything but subaltern.