The Picture of Dorian Grey (Roads Classics)

I picked this up thinking that I wouldn't like it and was so very pleasantly surprised. The way the book is put together is not the best, looking like a slapdash job of pages glued together with a font that's displeasing to the eye. However, the story is incredible. There is the tiniest moment where it's imperfect -- when the picture is shown to someone else -- so the question of whether the changes Dorian sees in the picture are real or not is answered when it could have been left open. It could have ended in so many ways, but I'm glad Mr. Wilde chose the way he did. I don't recommend a lot of books, as I am very harsh, but this was honestly a very good read.

I decided to have a quick peruse of the one star ratings before writing this review, as I was intrigued to know why people felt so negative towards The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whilst I do agree with some of the criticisms, on the whole this is a beautiful piece of classic literature and the Kindle version is relatively well formatted (could do with page breaks on chapter starts). This was Oscar Wilde's only novel and upon reading it, I'm not entirely surprised. The narrative is largely driven by dialogue / monologue, although this isn't necessarily a problem. The characters are shallow, aristocratic types, obsessed with fine living and aesthetics, which was precisely what Wilde intended. True, it is often difficult to identify with them, apart from the artist who painted the portrait itself perhaps. The opening chapters are beautifully homoerotic, in the sense that Wilde clearly couldn't overtly describe the interactions between the characters; thus, the language used cleverly hints at the relationships for what they are and this is actually rather a nice change from the contemporary 'in your face' approach. The only bit I didn't enjoy comes somewhere in the middle, where Wilde sets about describing Dorian Gray's love of things - fabrics, gemstones etc. etc. ad nauseum. After a couple of pages of this I did feel like skipping to the next part. Otherwise I found this novel almost addictive, to the extent that I even used the experimental text to speech to listen to some of it in the car on the way to work (an interesting experience). It does come to a very abrupt end, which is odd, considering the extensive description and elaboration given to everything else. All in all, given that the Kindle edition is free and the novel is historically of some importance (as well as being a clever idea), it has to be worth a read. It left me disappointed that Oscar Wilde didn't write more novels, although the reviews here cover the whole range of opinions, so this is definitely one that is in the eye of the beholder.

I tend to have differing tastes in books; I like my fiction to be light, easy to read to escape reality or something like crime that catches the imagination and ensures I can't put it down. I'd heard about Dorian Gray and knew the basics of the story, but it wasn't until I found it on a classic book app on my iPod that I started to read it. I won't go into the plot, or the specifics; either you know already or you can glean enough from other reviews. I will just say that I found this book to be a visual feast. For something written so long ago the language is descriptive without being too hard to read, and it has inspired me to want to learn more about the themes, motifs and symbols in the book (which I haven't done since English Literature classes 7 years ago). A book to be treasured (hence why I will be splashing out on the leather bound version) and one I know that I will read again and again and gain something different from each time I do.

Super book. Beautifully written. Intriguing story.

This in not a bad book, far from it, but not much happens and the endless desription of clothing, cosmetics, nature, and furniture becomes overbering, especially when it goes on for multiple pages. The ideas and morals are the best bits. The parts where Dorian is comfronted with his actions and the ideologies of the people he interacts with are a fascinating exploration, as well as some of the more dramatical moments in the book. Those moments however are to few and far between, and the rest is unending descriptions (as mentioned), overly dramatic dialogue, a few very homoerotic sections, and a love/hate relationship with: Victorian London, wives, Americans, class structure, and beauty of things. Overall I recommend reading it once, for the ideas and morals but no more than that as theres nothing of real interest that happens.

Yeah not bad so short but still took me ages, I didn’t think it would be both versions in one lol

Happy with my purchase

Good book

Does anybody on here write a bad review of Oscar Wilde? I am not qualified to give this author less than five stars 🤣

Idk like fake printed? It was a weird size and the paper felt like printer paper other than that it was fine

Undoubtedly the best novel written by Oscar Wilde... Storyline is quite attractive, and you will find many profound comments concerning such as love, art, life,etc. Readers should keep in mind that Lord Henry (intimate friend of Dorian Gray ) is the 'shadow main character' of this story.

text different sizes

Synopsis: Dorian Gray is a naive, unassuming young man before he comes into contact with Lord Henry Wotton. Henry, fondly called Harry, is a friend of Basil Hallward. Basil is an artist who is smitten with Dorian and considers him his muse. It so happens that Basil does a life-sized portrait of Dorian and puts his very essence into it, such is his art. But, what if it results in something sinister? And, is Dorian really that naive or is it his inherent nature that comes out as he ages? Was that evil already there, just waiting to be unleashed? Review: The story opens in Basil's studio, where Harry is sitting languidly - inhaling both the scent of roses and cigarette smoke. While in the centre sits the artist, with an unfinished painting of a very beautiful man. So beautiful that - anyone who so much as glances at him, cannot help but look for a second time, a bit longer, that was the marvel of his face. Basil unwillingly reveals that man's name to be Dorian Gray and refuses to display that creation extraordinaire of his anywhere as he believes that he has put too much of himself into it. But when Dorian comes to visit Basil in the presence of Harry, their meet up with each other is inevitable. Something which Basil didn't want, judging by his mannerisms. He's apprehensive of Harry ruining Dorian's 'innocence'. Sounds pretty simple, like your average goth story, no? Nah. What do you say when each and every line of The Preface is a quote in itself? In fact, throughout the text, the story is littered with brilliant and quotable quotes. Of course, you just read and be mesmerized, and be impressed by the sheer brilliance of the author's way with words. It is really sad that Wilde didn't write any more prose. "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all." While Basil worships Dorian, Dorian doesn't feel their friendship has altered him, as much as Harry's did in the short time of knowing him. Harry, that man is so sure of himself. Influencing Dorian negatively, arousing unhealthy passions in him. He doesn't even believe Dorian when the latter shares that he's in love with the seventeen-year-old Sybil Vane, an actress. Though it is obvious later on that Gray seems to be in love with the idea of love. His twenty-year-old brain seems addled as far as the concept of love is concerned. As time passes, under Harry's influence, Dorian gives in to his decadent lifestyle. His mood swings are too much. Wilde has written such wicked characters, that you will love to hate them or hate yourself for loving them. Haha! I buddy read this book with a bunch of bookstagrammers and I remember one of the co-host - Ditsha - saying that she would love to suggest him a therapist. I believe so too. "The more he knew, the more he desired to know. He had mad hungers that grew more ravenous as he fed them." The eleventh chapter (out of a total of twenty) is a revelation, a hedonistic revelation. The passage of life has made him all of thirty-eight now. His aura is such that he destroys everyone who comes in his path. He has become the epitome of evil, and what a cruel fate Basil had been handed in the end. But there's one character who doesn't change, Harry has his wits and his quips with him right till the very end. And in the end, the same portrait that saves him destroys him too. "There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful." The book has so many references to other written works and most importantly - music! But the text is something that I wouldn't call lyrical. It's rather lush, luxurious in meaning, rich in wordplay, oozing like chocolate out of a centre filled cake. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to fall in love with the written word again. P.S. Published in 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray is described as a gothic and a philosophical novel. And I haven't touched at all in this review about the philosophy part. I plan to do it soon, give me a month or two, maybe after my exams. I feel there is so much in the text that is just waiting to be unravelled. Books the Characters Read: 1. Émaux et Camées by Théophile Gautier (Enamels and Cameos) – A collection of Poetry Available for free on Project Gutenberg 2. À rebours by Joris-Karl Huysmans (Against Nature or Against the Grain) 3. Disciplina Clericalis by Petrus Alphonsi 4. A Margarite of America by Thomas Lodge 5. The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo and Rustichello da Pisa 6. Historical Memoires on the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James by Francis Osborne Originally posted on: My Blog @ Shaina's Musings