The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
So, I decided to stick to the historical theme for my next read and ended up plumping for an Oscar Wilde book. I've never read anything of his before but thought it was about time I continued my literary education. I had a vague notion of the storyline of The Picture of Dorian Gray before I started it, but still wasn't entirely sure what to expect.
The concept, for anyone not familiar with it, is that Dorian Gray has a portrait of himself painted when he is in his early 20s and he wishes the picture would age rather than him. Much to his surprise, this happens, paving the way for him to lead a destructive life without having to deal with the consequences on his appearance. That does not, however, prevent his soul being corrupted and it's interesting to see the ways in which his cruel nature are expressed.
Ultimately, I very much enjoyed the book and found the transformation of Dorian incredibly compelling. From a naive, vain youngster he evolves into a selfish, cruel man whose only purpose in life is to experience the pleasures of the world, regardless of the personal cost - or the damage it may do to others. I went from feeling slightly sorry for Dorian at the start to actively wishing his demise would come, which, of course, it does.
The other thing I liked about the novel is that Wilde doesn't feel compelled to detail many of Dorian's misdeeds, instead, he hints at his secret life away from high society by suggesting rumours and dropping small hints of information here and there and through lengthy philosophical conversations between Dorian and his close friend, Lord Henry.
It's not a particularly fast read, but it's one I would recommend if you have the patience and desire to go back to some of the classics.
So, I decided to stick to the historical theme for my next read and ended up plumping for an Oscar Wilde book. I've never read anything of his before but thought it was about time I continued my literary education. I had a vague notion of the storyline of The Picture of Dorian Gray before I started it, but still wasn't entirely sure what to expect.
The concept, for anyone not familiar with it, is that Dorian Gray has a portrait of himself painted when he is in his early 20s and he wishes the picture would age rather than him. Much to his surprise, this happens, paving the way for him to lead a destructive life without having to deal with the consequences on his appearance. That does not, however, prevent his soul being corrupted and it's interesting to see the ways in which his cruel nature are expressed.
Ultimately, I very much enjoyed the book and found the transformation of Dorian incredibly compelling. From a naive, vain youngster he evolves into a selfish, cruel man whose only purpose in life is to experience the pleasures of the world, regardless of the personal cost - or the damage it may do to others. I went from feeling slightly sorry for Dorian at the start to actively wishing his demise would come, which, of course, it does.
The other thing I liked about the novel is that Wilde doesn't feel compelled to detail many of Dorian's misdeeds, instead, he hints at his secret life away from high society by suggesting rumours and dropping small hints of information here and there and through lengthy philosophical conversations between Dorian and his close friend, Lord Henry.
It's not a particularly fast read, but it's one I would recommend if you have the patience and desire to go back to some of the classics.
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