The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

229 Pages Paperback (Fiction)

Anyone who has read Oscar Wilde before won’t be surprised at my review. Unfortunately, up until this point I have never read Wilde. I am certainly a huge fan now.

I think most people know the basic premises of the Book. A young man makes a wish that a portrait of him would age instead of himself. He was always admired as a fantastic person with a magnetic personality. All the people in society were interested in him. A large estate left by a benefactor makes Dorian’s life sleeping in and parties. What I found interesting was you really delved into the lives of affluent people of the late 1800’s. Gray is the main character is the focus, but we are constantly treated to the inner workings of the people around him.

Once Dorian discovers his wish has been granted he becomes obsessed. Not only does it age for him, but the picture bares all the evils of life, broken hearts and hatred as well. Soon he is doing things just to see the changes in the painting. It seems that Wilde uses this background to make a discussion about people and our actions. The book is more a commentary on modern life then a story about a certain character.

Now obviously Oscar Wilde is considered one of the greatest writers in history. So any amount of praise will just be blather in the wind. I will say what I appreciated most. His style of writing is like an ocean wave. Each sentence flows and is a partner to the sentences around them. I am most sincerely a fan of his work and will surely seek out more to read.

4 Intellectual/Emotional: It is easy to become a part of the story and find yourself sitting at the table of a wealthy lady discussing Victorian life.

5 Readability/ Style: This is what makes this book so great. Every page is a joy to read just for the sake of reading.

4 Long Term Impact: This book has already stood the test of a hundred years and will be a part of our culture for much longer.

13 out of 13. An extremely good score that is well deserved. In fact this could have a chance at a 14. “Classic” books are usually pretty good. Some are a little dryer than I would prefer. A Picture of Dorian Gray suffers no issues and is well worth your time.

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