The Picture of Dorian Gray

Written by Oscar Wilde

Narrated by Michael Sheen

The beautiful young Dorian Gray has his portrait painted by society artist Basil Hallward. Admired by all, the dazzling, wealthy, handsome young man has everything anyone could wish for – or so it appears. Oscar Wilde’s novel is a masterly study of moral corruption, a tour de force of suspense and surprise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Nov 4, 1995
• ISBN: 9789629545802

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on the 16th October 1854 and died on the 30th November 1900. He was an Irish playwright, poet, and author of numerous short stories and one novel. Known for his biting wit, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest.

Reviews for The Picture of Dorian Gray

[pennsylady · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3* for meI know it's a classicJust not one of my favoritesShelfari says it best"This dandy, who remains forever unchanged—petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral—while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years"

[colereadsbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible Gothic novel that is one of my all time favourite books.When Dorian has his portrait painted by the brilliant artist Basil Hallward, he realises he will never look as young and beautiful as he does in that oil canvas. He will age and die, and it will stay forever young. Enraged by this he cries out a plea, selling his soul for an eternally youthful face. So the story follows Dorian as he walks down a path of destruction that ultimately leads to his downfall.I love this book. I’ve read it so many times and it never ceases to amaze and fascinate me. It’s such a masterpiece. For starters it’s written in such a beautiful way, the language is so beautiful and is full of Wilde’s well known flourish and wit. It’s a wonderful example of a woeful Gothic tale.The story also continually draws you in, more and more you wish for Dorian’s redemption, that eventually he will find his way back onto the right path and move away from such destruction. I think that’s a mark of how wonderful the book is, that even when all hope is lost, you still have hope for the character.The book was seen as incredibly shocking when it was published and I can see why. Though it doesn’t go into explicit details about the kinds of behaviour Dorian resorts to, it’s not hard to conjure up some ideas. I think the book also goes a long way to criticise the society at the time and the way we very things like beauty.“Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.”The characters are great, not only Dorian, but Basil and Lord Henry, forever the angel and devil on Dorian’s shoulders, attempting to steer him in the right path. Oscar Wilde truly is a master of writing. I don’t know what it is about The Picture of Dorian Gray but I return to it again and again and each time I find something new or intriguing about the text. It’s a very readable book, especially for one written such a long time ago. If you are someone who is often put off by the word classic, this is definitely one to start with. It’s not a long winded tomb of a book, but a very suspenseful and exciting story.I love the touch of supernatural in the story and the descriptions of Dorian’s portrait as it becomes marred and disfigured have always filled me with a sense of dread. “I knew nothing but shadows and I thought them to be real.” The Picture of Dorian Gray is a book that is beloved by many, and I think that alone stands as testament to what a fascinating book it truly is.

[bendv_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Though I somewhat enjoyed this novel, it did not live up to my expectations. The basic plot of Dorian Gray sounds like it will almost definitely lead to a classic novel; a young man yearns to have eternal youth and have a portrait of himself age instead, and his wish comes true, leading him to a life of hedonistic excess. It sounds absorbing, ominous and generally awesome. Sadly, I don't really think Wilde manages to execute it as well as he could have. Not because he doesn't manage to write a good Gothic novel, but because he tries to write something more than a standard Gothic novel, and doesn't quite manage it. More on that later. I felt that it showed that this was the first (and only) novel Wilde wrote; his capacity as an essayist seems to be shown in the many extended discussions between the characters, and of course there are some brilliant one-liners, but the story itself isn't dealt with well. It has a beginning that's takes more than half the book to happen, a middle that gets almost entirely skipped, and then an ending that never feels as dramatic as it should do. The only part in which the novel feels like it fulfills its potential is the murder scene, which is built up to brilliantly and then executed in a truly chilling way. Everything else is rather enjoyable and interesting, but I was left at the end feeling confused and underwhelmed. One thing that didn't help was that I didn't realise the novel's preface was written as a response to its critics, and has nothing much to do with the story; the whole thing of art for arts sake kind of distracted me. I also sometimes got confused in the long discussions, and was never taken in by Lord Henry Wotton and his ideas (are we supposed to agree with him in some way? I was never quite sure how to react to him, aforementioned confusion probably didn't help), which instantly seemed pretty dumb to me- though that could be simply because I am not physically attractive and therefore got annoyed at Henry's claims that life without physical beauty basically sucks (although as the novel goes obviously Wilde shows the flaws in this belief and the hypocrisy of Wotton). And that's another area where Dorian Gray doesn't quite work; the characters. I was never quite sure how I was supposed to react to them. Am I supposed to like Basil Hallward or think he's just a bland conformist? Am I supposed to think Henry Wotton is a genius, a devil, an idiot, or a hypocrite? Am I supposed to think Dorian Gray is a misguided innocent, or a diabolical, awful human being? He's not convincing as either really- too bland to be evil, too crazy to be innocent. Maybe that's what Wilde was going for; supposedly he put elements of himself into each of the characters. The character of Dorian Gray is effective during that murder scene because he makes you question whether he is really a freak, or whether this is what anyone could be capable of if put in his position- rather like the character of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, only better because Dorian Gray initially seems normal and likable. This problem I had with the characters is the problem I had with Dorian Gray generally; on one level it feels like it's just supposed to be an average 19th century Gothic novel like Frankenstein; highly moralistic, intended to have a thrilling, intense story with characters that are easy to pigeon-hole. If it had just been like that, I have no doubt it would've been a great read, and I guess when I read that it was a Gothic novel, that's pretty much what I was expecting from what I knew of Gothic novels. But at the same time, Wilde has clearly tried to write a book that is something more, where the morality isn't quite as black and white, where the characters are more complex and, perhaps, more real. But he hasn't quite managed it; it's still ultimately a Gothic novel, it's just had the intensity taken out of most of it. Instead it's slow, wordy and anti-climactic. It's still good, but it didn't quite work for me. Maybe I just didn't get Dorian Gray; maybe I was putting my expectations (which were high) on to it too much. But it did kind of disappoint me, though it was still a pretty good read. It's a novel that seems like it might be worth a second read sometime.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to say that I probably would have preferred to read this one, reading would have allowed me to skim-read the lists of jewels and ecclastical embroidery work that he accumulated and other bits. The narrator didn't really work for me, somehow his pronounciation of some names put me off, they were probably correct but just jarred my ear. Some day I may have to find an Irish Reader to see the difference.This story of a portrait that ages while the pictured man doesn't is interesting, though I did occasionally want for a computer to look some details up, I enjoyed it overall (though I, more than once, had to think, so as not to sound like a Victorian for the remainder of the day!) The undertones of sexuality and misogony that some characters display are quite evident, the focus is on the male characters, the female appear to be there as almost pointless pivots.The format is interesting, all that's needed is a pair of earphones and a AAA battery and you're off, though it is quite easy to knock off and can be quite difficult to rewind if you're interrupted. It was perfect for me when I was travelling on public transport and knitting, a spare battery would be useful to carry with you, as several times I found myself without power.

[lostfrog_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oscar Wilde is so quotable, this book is pretty much one giant quotation.

[molly1221_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The picture of Dorian Gray is talk about a preson is very overconfident because of a picture.the preson's name is Dorian Gray,and his friend draw a picture for him,and young DG found this picture for the first time,he resented portrait wishing it grow old and ugly instead of him,but it becames truth and in the end he killed many people who found his secreat ,so he dead because of his picture. Wilde wrote this book for satirize the dark of that time and the corruption of human natural,he described it fully.It told us everything is not prefect and we should treat everything as normal.

[eidzior_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book and it's crazy plot. I also felt like it was a warning not to live too much about the physical things in life. I think for a lot of people image, clothing, and physical appearance sometimes becomes a part of their identity in a way that's not healthy and not productive. This book definitely has a moral tone as well that while I understood, did not always appreciate. I'm sure that if Wilde had been alive today he would have been able to write about homosexuality in a more visible way. Though, we might not have his wonderful work in the way we do now.

I also really liked the language, of course, Wilde is a master and I appreciated the insanity of the entire situation. Dorian Gray reminded me the reason we read classic literature.

The new film from a couple of years ago was also good though, I think, it's better in novel form than film form.

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book, especially for the time period it was written in. The writing style seems very different from the other books I've read from the time period. And the premise of the story based on debauchery with no lawful repercussions probably upset quite a few people. I liked the story. My father was actually named after Dorian Grey, so I've been meaning to read this book for a while to see what inspired my grandmother to use the name. Not that my father partakes in debauchery, of course. :) Actually I don't know why my father was given the name. Anyways, this is a classic I am not just glad to check off the list and have in my reading repertoire. I ended up enjoying the book and purposefully sat and cross-stitched instead of my other plans just so I could finish the book on audio.

[jedimarri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My first introduction to "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde was the inclusion of his character in the movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." After reading "Dracula" recently I decided I wanted to go and read other classics in the genre of the fantastic. I was amazed when I learned that it was by Oscar Wilde!When I was younger I was part of a program called "Home Link." It was a school designed to allow the home schoolers in the area (we have a lot of them!) take elective type classes that are hard to teach at home. One of the classes that was offered was drama - and me being me - I of course took it!In 9th grade we spent the entire year working on producing "The Importance of Being Ernest," by Oscar Wilde. Why we spent a whole year on it is a story for another time and place, but it was an experience I'll always treasure. I played Lady Augusta Bracknel, and by the end of the year I could quote that play back and forth! All three acts, and Lady Bracknel didn't even appear in the second act! I could quote large portions of it for years afterwards.Reading "Dorian Gray" brought back a lot of memories for me. Obviously the two stories are very different, but the writing style was most definitely recognizable as Oscar Wilde. He has a way of having his characters say the most absurd things, but making them seem to make sense in the scene.The story of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is in many ways a story on the nature of sin and how it changes you. A painter friend of Dorian's creates a master piece portrait of Dorian. Prompted by some comments of a mutual friend of theirs, Dorian idly wishes that he could remain youthful and "pretty" forever, and that the painting could change instead.For whatever reason, his prayers are answered. Dorian never grows older, but every sin and stain on his soul shows up in vivid detail on his painting. Scared at first, Dorian begins to enjoy his freedom and pursues whatever catches his fancy.I found the progression of his descent to be interesting, although at one point the musings that Wilde went into got a little tiresome. I would say more about the end and the consequences, but I'd rather let you read the book for yourself! Be prepared though for the Victorian turns of phrase and ideas. If your not used to it you might find it a hard read.

[danielalgara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite reads. Buy an expensive hardcover edition, it will be a treasure in your library for the rest of your life.

[lord_boris-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"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 so it begins, the descent of Dorian Gray. A gothic horror that deals in manipulation, class, the adoration of youth and the price of sin. To name but a few of the themes that prevail in this book. For me the book really takes off in the second half and is worth persevering because the first half, although not dull may be considered slow by some. The description of Dorians trip to the opium den is a particularly vivid metaphor for his downward spiral into sin.

[ainemcg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastically good read!! Thought this book may have dated and been difficult to read. I was very wrong. This is an excellent read that really draws the reader in and does not allow them to escape until the end! Thoroughly recommend it.

[persephoneslibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What’s it about?Basil Hallward, a painter, is fascinated by his latest model Dorian Gray. He paints a portray of the young and beautiful man who falls instantly in love with it. Like Narciss he gets obsessed by his appearance: Dorian wishes for the picture to bear all the changes his own body should go through while ageing. His wish is granted.Dorian Gray lives a Dandy’s life with the constant goal to make his life itself a piece of art. His face and body stay untouched by his excessive behaviour, but his portray reflects every single change of his soul. And his debauched and extravagant life-style ruins other people’s lives…How was it?This is a wonderful spooky-psychological novel(la) with a lot of fun bonmots. Dorian Gray’s development is fascinating: I liked the psychological insights and the variety in which you can read the characters’ relationships. The language is a pleasure to read and I enjoyed the reflections about art. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is one of the small treasures that unveil new details every time you read it!

[emmee1000 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I read this book because literary aficionadoes declare it to be wonderful...... really, now I don't know WHY I read it!
It was Oscar Wilde's only novel, and I think the least impressive of his accomplishments. It is written in classic Victorian style, verbose, ponderous, self-important. The premise of the story, along with its undercurrent of homosexuality, is interesting, but the telling of it is most cumbersome. I prefer to-the-point writing, so found this like a waist-deep wade through a pile of political thesauri. Sorry, Oscar.

[onlyhope1912 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was beautifully written, It tells the story of an innocent boy, who wishes his self portrait could grow old instead of himself. So It does...as he grows older and wicked the portrait mirrors his very soul while his body never changes.

[theokester · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew relatively little going into this book...and what little I did know was from less than 100% accurate retellings such as in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or references from cheesy shows or horror flicks (I think perhaps there was a reference in Scooby Doo somewhere?). I had the basic gist...there's a guy, Dorian Gray, who has some magical painting that ages while he stays young and wonderful forever. Not much to go on, but I was still excited to read it. I was pleasantly surprised that the book had much more depth to it.PlotThe plot is intriguing and has been used in other stories, though I think this one has more depth than I've seen before. Essentially, Dorian makes a wish that he will be forever as pristine as the painting made of him and that instead the painting will take on it the toils of his life. Whatever supernatural forces allow this to happen are irrelevant...the wish is granted.It's more than a simple "young forever" contract. Although age plays into the plot in a couple of places, the primary things that distorts the picture are the vices that Dorian engages in. The first transformation of the painting happens after an intense argument with the first woman he loved. It was interesting to me how quickly Dorian recognized the cause of the change for what it was, but had he belabored the motive for too long, the pacing of the book would have stalled and become unacceptable.Dorian uses his "power" to be ruthlessly reckless in his living. Dorian Gray becomes entirely uninhibited, taking everything to its limit, seeking absolute pleasure. He even sneaks out at night (so as not to tarnish his pristine reputation) to the "bad side of town" and lives a sort of double life in opium dens with gangs and prostitutes.In many ways (perhaps because I so recently read it), I felt many similarities to the morale commentary presented in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I felt that Wilde did a better job of delving into the psyche of the hypocritical character, largely because we were able to get into Dorian's head and think and feel with him, while in Jekyll/Hyde, we were kept at a distance by a third person narrative.CharactersThere are three pivotal characters in this book. The first, obviously, is Dorian himself. For the first many chapters (perhaps nearly the first half of the book in fact), I wasn't terribly pleased with Dorian as a character...he felt very flat to me. He was basically a mirror to one of the other primary characters (Harry) and didn't ever show his own opinion. He was hailed as pure and beautiful. Perhaps it's all the art references in the book, but I often felt as if Dorian existed more as a classical statue than as a living, breathing character. As his interaction with the 'picture' progresses and once he takes some rather unexpected steps, he became a deeper character and a lot of fun to be with.The second primary character is Lord Harry (or was it Henry...blast those Brits for swapping those names interchangeably so often *grin*). Harry exists as the provocative, cynical, always-with-a-comment-about-anything mentor to Dorian. Harry is absolutely encouragable and a lot of fun to listen to. His speeches often have to do with the pursuit of pleasure at any and all costs and the hazard of a virtuous and peaceful life. His influence over Dorian is profound. As I mentioned above, it often felt as if Dorian existed merely as a mirror for Harry's advice. Harry didn't seem to follow all of his own advice, but Dorian took it readily to heart and strove to live a 'come-what-may' existence. Harry had some of the funniest and most profound comments of the entire narrative. He's a fabulous character.The third character I want to point out actually existed as more of a background character, but I feel the need to call him out merely because of his pivotal involvement in the plot. I actually can't even remember his name now...but it will suffice to call him, "the artist." He's the one who paints Dorian's picture. He's the one who introduces Dorian to Harry. He's the one who tries to give Dorian good advice to counter all the reckless advice that Harry poisons him with. The artist was kind of like Dorian's "Jiminey Cricket"...his conscious that was often (always?) ignored until it was far too late. He showed up in surprisingly few scenes considering the huge importance he had to the plot.Style, Pacing, etcThe language used in this book was truly beautiful. Wilde wrote flowing, vivid descriptions of characters, places and actions. At times it was very poetic. It may be a bit too flowery for readers who don't enjoy that sort of description...it came very close to being 'over the top' to me in a few places. Still, I generally enjoyed the formality of it and the life it gave to the text. The first dozen or two pages were tedious to me...whether because of the language or just the style and thematic pacing, I'm not sure.The pacing was a bit slower than I would have liked. The main difficulty I saw was that Wilde was trying to present so many themes that he often had to result to lengthy passages praising or condemning one thing or another. There were often very long monologues by one of the three primary characters mentioned above. Harry's were generally offset by bits that made me laugh by their extremity while speeches from Dorian and the artist sometimes made me want to slap them and tell them to shut up.OverallI was a little torn on my overall feeling for the book. It took me a while to get into it and there were long passages that were drudgerous to push through. However, from a high level, this is one of the better books I've read this year...or even for numerous years. It had a plenitude of intriguing themes that left me thinking in between readings. It had a lot of humorous quips and paradigms as presented by Harry that I laughed out loud at. It had surprising twists and tension that left me curious as to the true outcome (as opposed to that from rip-off stories). There are a couple of spots that could be considered "climax"...the confrontation with the artist is the main turning point in the book. Personally, I would have rather seen more pages after that turning point than before it. I think the last 1/3 of the book was far more engaging. At the same time, the buildup was necessary to promote the intended mood.Overall, this is a book I definitely recommend, with the caveat that you should be aware that it does slow down at points. Just push through those. The overall work is worthy of a couple of slow zones. In fact, perhaps those slow zones serve the purpose of allowing more pondering.****4.5 stars

[schmal06 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I knew nothing of the book before I started and I must admit, it was not what I expected exactly. It retains all of Wilde's incandescent wit but it is also coated with a thick layer of Gothic fiction. The story is a bit predictable but the writing and philosophy (whether taken seriously or not) is fascinating. Lord Henry is brilliant the way he teeters in between ridiculous and trenchant observations of society and morality. He is full of unforgettable one-liners! The novel evoked little emotion from me, it was much too romantic to be sentimental (if that makes sense), but I think that was the point. If you are a fan of Wilde's plays, definitely try this.

[pennma05-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Unpopular opinion. I just really couldn't get into this book. It was very slow paced and just didn't spark my interest.

[sweetsarah_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this was a good book although what Dorian did kinda grossed me out. i had to read this book for school so i did not get as much out of it as i would have if i had read it on my own.

[lizzybeans11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found Picture of Dorian Grey to be a great and easy read. The plot is fascinating - especially if you place yourself in the time period. While some have criticized the characters for lacking depth, I feel like that was sort of the point. Dorian is a shallow character and the surroundings sparkle more than he does. This is, all around, a classic horror novel.

[laurenbethy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had tried to read this a few years ago, when I was in high school, liking the idea of the plot, but couldn't get through it at all. Now, being 20, I loved it. True, Wilde takes a few places to go on philosophical tangents with Lord Henry, but I thought they were fabulous. The ideas astounded me, and reading it reminded me of the poisonous book that Dorian reads. In any case, the plot of the book is amazing, almost a side note to the philosophies, and the meaning of the book is dark and obscure. It's amazing. I will definitely be reading it often from now on.

[mamashepp · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I could have skipped Chapter 9--Wilde just got carried away here--there had to have been an easier way to say "Dorian went nuts with excess and greed." But this is a great study in human character.

[lucybrown_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Oscar Wilde famously proclaimed that there was no such thing as a moral or immoral book, only one that was badly or well written. I would never say that Dorian Gray is badly written. It is full of pretty words, lush descriptions and witty repartee. However, it lacks a compelling central character. It, in fact, lacks any compelling characters. It works as a morality play, but not as a fully wrought novel. We never understand Gray beyond his shiny exterior. As I read, I kept thinking, "what a book this would have been if Conrad had written it!" Then I would think what if Poe or Hawthorne had.

When Marlowe sees the horror that had become Kurtz, the reader is deeply affected. Though absent for nearly all of the book, Kurtz becomes for the reader a man of substance, depth, at one time, of integrity. When Othello, Hamlet, Oedipus fall we mourn. While deeply flawed these men represented some level of worthiness. One does not mourn the destruction of a piece of frippery. From the start Dorian is nothing more than that. A pretty boy. He is vapid, callow beyond belief. His descent into turpitude is not affecting because he was really nothing to begin with.

As for the plotting, there are large chunks that could have been axed. The catalogue of collectors and collections gave Wilde a chance at heaping on gorgeous details, but bogs down the story. Gray's rumored depravity is too vague to be believed in. Granted a great bit of the novel was axed by the publisher and Wilde himself donor is hard to fault the author here. Yet, Stevenson is able to impress us with the abject hideousness of Hyde's corruption without being especially graphic. The plot only really becomes interesting with the murder of ---.

The two foils to Gray, Lord Henry and Basil, are really no more interesting than Gray. Basil the hand wringing moralist could have been the most interesting character. Lord Henry who plays Mephistopheles to Gray's Faust is a witty bore. How Gray could have fallen under his spell is mystery.

I wound not call Dorian Gray a bad book, just marginally silly one. It earns three stars on the merit of the last 1/3. Perhaps it should have been a short story.

[julesjones_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I know the basics of the story, but I'd never read it. So I downloaded a copy from Feedbooks for a rainy day. Lots of reviews and critiques out there already, so I'll simply say that I liked it.

[ldvoorberg · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I can say I've read the book and will now understand other literary references to it, but I don't think I enjoyed this book. I suspect that most of the discourse and style is suited to a different time and culture that I do not relate to. The overall story and concept are intriguing and timeless, but if someone were to "re-write" this story in a modern context, I think I'd find that more accessible.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Prachtige sfeerschepping, sterk thrillerachtig, vol spitse oneliners en cynische filosofietjes.

[durgaprsd04-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great work of literature. Truly remarkable an idea.I liked this book

[zibilee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When we first meet Dorian Gray he is a beautiful and innocent young man with the world at his feet. Lovely beyond compare, he's the darling of society and just budding into the man that he will one day become. But when his great friend and upcoming artist Basil Hallward decides to use him for the subject of a painting, everything changes for him. First off, he meets the irrepressibly cynical Lord Henry, who fills his head with narcissistic and negative thoughts, and finds that he is charmed to the bone with Lord Henry's misanthropy. When the picture of the Dorian is finally unveiled, everyone agrees that Hallward has captured both the charming beauty and fleeting youth in the painting, and Dorian, who is already becoming more worldly through Lord Henry's influence, makes a terrible wish. Dorian decides he wants to be young and lovely forever and that the only sign of his aging and decrepitude would present itself on the painting that Hallward has just produced. His bargain will change his life and the lives around him forever. At first blush, Dorian is little changed, but after short time, he begins to mire his once pure soul in devilish pursuits and fiendish pastimes. Being a dilettante is not enough for Dorian, and as he begins to sully his soul and reputation, Lord Henry is ever at his side, egging him on to more and more misogynistic and nefarious preoccupations. Just as he had wished, Dorian's visage continues to be unstained and lovely, while his portrait begins to turn vile and misshapen. In fact, Dorian is so consumed with the painting that he has it removed to a remote corner of his home, and as he becomes more and more invested in a life filled with debauchery, he studies the painting with growing glee. One day Dorian finally crosses the line with his behavior and comes to see that his soul and mind have been extremely warped. But the bargain he made will not be easy to break, and the frightened Dorian Gray must finally pay the price for all his wicked deeds. In this penetratingly astute novel, Oscar Wilde gives the reader a look into the seared soul of a man condemned to live a life of rare beauty on the outside and frightening corruption on the inside. A life that will have bitter and horrendous consequences for not only Dorian, but those surrounding him as well.This year I decided to make it a point to read at least one classic piece of literature each month. I started this resolution with Dorian Gray because the blogosphere has been all atwitter about this book in the last few months, and this culminated with Jill's Dueling Monsters. The two books up for consideration were this book and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with The Picture of Dorian Gray emerging as the winner by a close margin. When my uncle gave me a copy for Christmas, I knew the fates had aligned things for me and this would be my first foray into my classic-a-month project. I had expected this to be a story that stayed mostly on the surface and was very surprised to find that Wilde goes to great lengths to create the kind of tale that reverberates through all life's incongruities and passions, and creates in Dorian a man who turns so radically from an innocent into a monster.I definitely think I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that Lord Henry was a significant impetus for the change in Dorian. Though it's Dorian who makes the wish, it's Lord Henry who is his tutor in all things gross and savage. When Lord Henry first meets Dorian, he sees his beauty and innocence as a great well in which to throw his poison, and delights in breaking the lad's composure and peace of mind. All throuought the book, Dorian seeks Lord Henry's advice and approval, and the more Dorian grows into his evilness, the more willing Lord Henry is to pollute him further. Lord Henry has an opinion on everything and most of his opinions are savage and shocking. He finds life's purity boring and believes one should live only for the senses at the expense of the soul. His opinion of women is abysmal and his outlook on society is one of repugnance. Dorian soaks up these opinions like a sponge and comes to espouse all the things that Lord Henry stands for, becoming, in essence, all of Lord Henry's putrid ideas made flesh. Lord Henry exposes Dorian to a piece of literature that invades his soul, and Dorian believes it's this book that changes him, when in reality, it's Lord Henry's influence that has been changing him all along.There's a great deal of philosophy here, and most of it is rather sardonic and pessimistic. It's within Dorian that these beliefs are placed, and within him where they flower to become a stain on his ever-consumed soul. Man as a creature of habit and addictions, man as a repository for suffering and indulgence, and man as a terrible monster of conformity and egotism. These are all subjects that are dealt with deeply in this book, and as Dorian learns these things, his mind begins to warp into a cynical shell that bears very little resemblance to what he had once been. Deception, lies and connivance take precedence over love, honor and respect, and Wilde creates a verisimilitude of human folly and behavior within his narrative that's designed to show not only the weakness of humanity but the pits that one can fall into when the soul is left to languish with unsavory company. The book also deals strongly with the hedonism that can arise within a man who lives solely for pleasure and experience. Though Dorian is fascinated by all that pleasure can bring him, he wants none of the consequences that this may entail, and because of the bargain he strikes, he goes through life untouched by the changes and disfigurement that all humans suffer.Another important subject to raise is the duality of Dorian Gray. He is admittedly a hedonist and concerned with earthly pleasures, but his outward appearance, and one that he struggles to maintain, is one of grace and refinement. As he continues to debase and sully himself further, he never lets go of his outward mode of composure and togetherness. This is really one of the most interesting things about the book: the extreme divergence between the lightness that is exposed on the outside and the darkness that is dominating within. The painting that is part of the Faustian bargain is the only manifestation of the evils that are going on within this strange man, and as it's hidden away, the rest of the world can never discover the sham. He manages to hide his soul's deformity from everyone, but cannot, in the end, hide it from himself.I thought this was an exceedingly robust and interesting read, and I admit that Wilde has a way of capturing prose that is not only elegant, but also beautifully consuming. It was a very accessible read for a classic and I enjoyed it so much, it makes me feel hopeful about my new resolution. It's a book that stirred a deep passion within my soul, because as much as I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but see that we are all a little like Dorian Gray, and though we may not indulge ourselves with as much fierce abandon into the heady enjoyments of the world, there is a spark of him in each one of us. A greatly intriguing read. Highly recommended.

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An eerie and exciting story. There's a lot of subtext to the work and worth reading over. I'm not sure, it may be Wilde's only true novel... if so, it's too bad he didn't write more of them.

[breic-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I never connected with this novel. Probably because I just read "The Importance of Being Earnest," from the very beginning, Lord Henry's aphoristic pronouncements felt forced. In a humorous play they make sense, but here they are awkward and out of place. I don't think the characters or story ever became fully authentic; in the worst parts, they just became abstractions.