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A review by alexiacambaling
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
5.0
I decided to pick up The Picture of Dorian Gray on a whim one day and while I did expect to like it, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. This was a little difficult to write because consulting my notes revealed that most of what I’ve written just praised Oscar Wilde’s writing.
The whole book was written in this absurdly beautiful flowery manner and it just works. I love how flowery it was and how beautiful the language used was. Oscar Wilde was really a genius because damn, his writing was gorgeous. This was really an instance where I’m okay with purple prose because it fits well with the aesthetic. Additionally, I really enjoyed how readable it was. I noted in my post about Frankenstein that I sometimes have trouble parsing the language in classic books (especially English lit) but I similarly had no problems here. Although that might be expected because this was a bit more modern. Also, reading this as soft instrumental music played in the background just made it better.
Speaking of the aesthetic, I did enjoy the gothic feel of this book. It wasn’t very heavy on the paranormal side but there’s enough of it to keep me satisfied and intrigued. I liked how it was done in the story because at first, the painting was just a painting. But it also caused Dorian to be aware of his beauty and that awareness subsequently became the cause of his obsession with beauty which of course caused his downfall. Of course, there was a certain book that played a big part in the corruption of his soul. From the innocent Basil loved to the hedonistic cynic who used his beauty as a weapon, Dorian’s descent was fascinating throughout.
One of the things I liked the most about this book were its themes. It mostly dealt with upper-class English society and it showed us the corruption underneath it all and the ruthless cynicism that permeated the upper-class. Henry Wotton was a very compelling character even if he played a large role in how and why Dorian came to be that way.
The image of Dorian Gray being willing to sell his soul in order to remain beautiful forever was also quite compelling because on the outside, you have the image of what looks like the ideal man: beautiful, rich, elegant, and eternally young. The inside was what showed the rot underneath. The portrait reflected who he truly was. Of course, this also applies in real life in that beauty can sometimes be skin-deep.
Was vanity a sin? Dorian Gray was certainly vain although he wasn’t, at first. Basil did love Dorian for being beautiful but also for being innocent. It was when he discovered vanity that he began to love himself for his beauty over all other attributes. This vanity and his discovery of it played a large part in the corruption of his soul and how he ended up trading it for eternal youth.
I would be remiss not to mention the homosexual undertones (overtones?) in this book. There’s just so much gay subtext that I was surprised to do my research and find out that there were actually a lot more cut from this book for being “immoral”. If there was an edition where those parts are restored, I would honestly like to see it. Given Oscar Wilde’s personal life, reading this just made me appreciate the man in the context of his time even more. It also reminds you of course that LGBTQ+ people have suffered and been persecuted and this continues to this day. That he was able to publish a book like The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890 (to a shocked and outraged public) showed great courage.
Overall, I’m glad to have experienced The Picture of Dorian Gray relatively fresh with few preconceived notions. Literally the only thing I knew about this book going in was the portrait thing. The rest came as a surprise and a beautiful one. Beauty can be alluring and seductive but being obsessed with it was not a good thing. A highly recommended read.
The whole book was written in this absurdly beautiful flowery manner and it just works. I love how flowery it was and how beautiful the language used was. Oscar Wilde was really a genius because damn, his writing was gorgeous. This was really an instance where I’m okay with purple prose because it fits well with the aesthetic. Additionally, I really enjoyed how readable it was. I noted in my post about Frankenstein that I sometimes have trouble parsing the language in classic books (especially English lit) but I similarly had no problems here. Although that might be expected because this was a bit more modern. Also, reading this as soft instrumental music played in the background just made it better.
Speaking of the aesthetic, I did enjoy the gothic feel of this book. It wasn’t very heavy on the paranormal side but there’s enough of it to keep me satisfied and intrigued. I liked how it was done in the story because at first, the painting was just a painting. But it also caused Dorian to be aware of his beauty and that awareness subsequently became the cause of his obsession with beauty which of course caused his downfall. Of course, there was a certain book that played a big part in the corruption of his soul. From the innocent Basil loved to the hedonistic cynic who used his beauty as a weapon, Dorian’s descent was fascinating throughout.
One of the things I liked the most about this book were its themes. It mostly dealt with upper-class English society and it showed us the corruption underneath it all and the ruthless cynicism that permeated the upper-class. Henry Wotton was a very compelling character even if he played a large role in how and why Dorian came to be that way.
The image of Dorian Gray being willing to sell his soul in order to remain beautiful forever was also quite compelling because on the outside, you have the image of what looks like the ideal man: beautiful, rich, elegant, and eternally young. The inside was what showed the rot underneath. The portrait reflected who he truly was. Of course, this also applies in real life in that beauty can sometimes be skin-deep.
Was vanity a sin? Dorian Gray was certainly vain although he wasn’t, at first. Basil did love Dorian for being beautiful but also for being innocent. It was when he discovered vanity that he began to love himself for his beauty over all other attributes. This vanity and his discovery of it played a large part in the corruption of his soul and how he ended up trading it for eternal youth.
I would be remiss not to mention the homosexual undertones (overtones?) in this book. There’s just so much gay subtext that I was surprised to do my research and find out that there were actually a lot more cut from this book for being “immoral”. If there was an edition where those parts are restored, I would honestly like to see it. Given Oscar Wilde’s personal life, reading this just made me appreciate the man in the context of his time even more. It also reminds you of course that LGBTQ+ people have suffered and been persecuted and this continues to this day. That he was able to publish a book like The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890 (to a shocked and outraged public) showed great courage.
Overall, I’m glad to have experienced The Picture of Dorian Gray relatively fresh with few preconceived notions. Literally the only thing I knew about this book going in was the portrait thing. The rest came as a surprise and a beautiful one. Beauty can be alluring and seductive but being obsessed with it was not a good thing. A highly recommended read.