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Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray by OSCAR WILDE, JEFFREY EUGENIDES ISBN: 0-375-75151-3 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Average Customer Rating: 4.16 (172 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Dorian Gray
Comment: Wilde's Dorian Gray is such a powerful book because it explores the path of one man's sins and their effect on his life and the lives of those around him. Wilde uses Dorian as an example to demonstrate the struggles of humanity coping with its flaws. Wilde's plot is simple enough. Dorian was a man who had everything going for him. He was young, beautiful, wealthy, and unspoiled. Then he met Lord Henry, whose bizzare philosophies that he himself didn't even take seriously had a great impact on the impressionable Dorian. Lord Henry had convinced Dorian that once his youth had passed, he would have nothing enjoyable left in life, which caused Dorian pray aloud that a portrait he had of himself would take on his own physical burdens. As Dorian becomes more and more corrupted by Lord Henry and commits more sins, he notices that the painting (which represents his conscience) is becoming more and more wretched. He occasionally feels remorse and tries to change, but his plans always fail when Lord Henry draws him back under the shadow of his influence. The discouraged Dorian finally resolves to start his life anew by destroying the painting, the only record he has of his sins. When he stabs the picture, however, he kills himself.
This is a powerful story that portrays the important lesson that sins are inescapable and everybody's actions catch up to them. This isn't a hard concept, but Wilde's writing is very challenging. He uses very poignant expressions constantly throughout the book that can get the reader off track because they tend to cause him to attempt to frequently stop and process what has just been said. I think that this was a great book, but it wouldn't be good to require it at Mercy High because it takes so long to get through.
Rating: 5
Summary: The heavy price of eternal youth
Comment: The Picture of Dorian Gray, a story of morals, psychology and poetic justice, has furnished Oscar Wilde with the status of a classical writer. It takes place in 19th-century England, and tells of a man in the bloom of his youth who will remain forever young.
Basil Hallward is a merely average painter until he meets Dorian Gray and becomes his friend. But Dorian, who is blessed with an angelic beauty, inspires Hallward to create his ultimate masterpiece. Awed by the perfection of this rendering, he utters the wish to be able to retain the good looks of his youth while the picture were the one to deteriorate with age. But when Dorian discovers the painting cruelly altered and realizes that his wish has been fulfilled, he ponders changing his hedonistic approach.
Dorian Gray's sharp social criticism has provoked audible controversy and protest upon the book's 1890 publication, and only years later was it to rise to classical status. Written in the style of a Greek tragedy, it is popularly interpreted as an analogy to Wilde's own tragic life. Despite this, the book is laced with the right amounts of the author's perpetual jaunty wit.
Rating: 3
Summary: Picture of a Soul
Comment: This story about a man whose wish for eternal youth comes true through a portrait of himself delves into numerous philosophical nether regions. Set in upscale 19th century London, The Picture of Dorian Gray deals with such topics as truth, death, and most especially beauty.
Dorian Gray's portrait ages while he remains his youthful self. Gray uses this to his advantage (let's be honest, who wouldn't?). Gray breaks hearts, corrupts others, and avails himself of numerous vices...most notably opium. Gray also takes advantage of his youth by learning new things...music and gemology come to mind. But Gray's self-enhancement does not make up for the copious sins he commits, both large and small...and even though his face does not bely his crimes, the portrait's face does.
Wilde's play on eternal youth was almost certainly novel for the time. These days the concept has been played out time again. But I do not begrudge Wilde for this...in his time, he was an innovator.
Four major things irked me about this book:
First, the prose is overly flowery. I don't read many books written in the 19th century...maybe most of the books were written like this. Second, Wilde seems to use this book as a platform to give us his take on philosophical issues large and small. True, most good works of fiction are a reflection of the society in which the author lives, but Wilde is NOT subtle about giving us numerous opinions on art, love, life, beauty, etc. I think he could have been a bit more subtle doing this. Third most of characters seemed overly naive. Granted, this story is supposed to be set in a time and place where the rich did not concern themselves with trivial matters. Nonetheless...so much was going on under the characters' noses! Even, Henry Wotton -- Gray's longtime friend -- seems to come down with a bout of extreme naivete toward the end of the book. Somehow, this made the characters seem shallower than they otherwise might have been. And my final gripe kind of ties in with the characters' overall naivete. From the time that Dorian Gray is granted eternal youth by whatever powers that be, to the end of the book, nearly two decades elapse. There is only one, very minor, mention of Gray's youthful looks toward the end of the book. Didn't anyone notice that this guy has, supposedly, aged nearly twenty years and yet still appears as youthful as ever? Come on, even these days with plastic surgery and $100+ cosmetic cream, a 40 year old doesn't look half his age. Why did only Gray's closest friend only offhandedly mention this toward the end of the book? Surely someone else must have noticed?
Wilde's concept had a lot of potential, and it certainly does make one ponder life's intangible mysteries, but Wilde spent to much time proselytizing his 19th century philosophy for this book to really stand out. This book is only recommended to those who enjoy Wilde's other works.
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