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The Picture of Dorian Gray
I read this book as part of a personal quest to read some of the classic authors and was pleasantly surprised. I read some of the other reviews posted for the book and since it was free for Kindle I grabbed it. It was an awesome read that i felt was very relevant even though it was written many years ago.It tells the story of Dorian Gray who is a beautiful young man who has his portrait painted and upon seeing the protrait's beauty, doesn't think that he could ever live up to its beauty. He wishes that the picture could age instead of him and with that, in effect makes a "deal with the devil". Who actually turns out to be an acquaintance of the painter. Now I must clarify that the use of the term devil isn't literal or traditional in the sense of a scary creature whom Dorian encounters and actually makes a deal. Over time, it becomes apparent that Dorian doesn't age and that the picture does which causes a emotional distress for Dorian and we see him living his life in seclusion and treachery.People who encounter Dorian seem to have harm follow them or they in fact, harm (kill) themselves. All the while, he maintains his boyish looks and draws the ire of the townspeople and becomes the subject of many comments, rumors, and suggestions.In the end Dorian decides that the only way to be free and have a clean slate is to destroy the very thing that he feels has been holding him back...the picture and what happens next...well...I guess you should just read the book ;-)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Basil, who up until now was a mediocre painter after meeting Dorian Gray a young Adonis, was inspired to create a masterpiece of which he puts himself into. Against Basil's wishes, Dorian Gray is influenced by Basil's friend Lord Henry. Dorian looks at his portrait and realizes that while the portrait will stay young forever, he will grow old; so Dorian makes a wish that if only he could stay young forever and the portrait can age.At first Dorian does not realize his wishes been granted. He falls in love with a beautiful young actress who is every woman that Shakespeare ever wrote about. But once again due to Lord Henry's influence, he realizes that she's just a common girl.Starting with absent-minded acts Dorian slowly sinks into debauchery. And with every new act his picture becomes more grotesque while Dorian stays is young and as innocent looking as the day his picture was painted.What will become of Dorian?What will become of Dorian's painting?What would you do if you were Dorian?Oscar Wilde paints a picture himself as he describes Dorian Gray's dilemma. And we as readers travel with Dorian as each decision is made. In some places in the story Oscar Wilde seems to drag on and on with detail; however we find that this detail is necessary to set the next scene.Oscar Wilde himself led a risky life that lead to a jail sentence; is attitudes can be seen in the dialogues in this book.The Picture of Dorian Gray Starring: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Dorian Gray, a young man of high English society, possesses a beauty that any man or women would long for. However, the reader soon realizes that even the purest beauty can not save us from the horrors and intrigue of sin. After seeing his portrait, Dorian curses the fact that soon his beauty will fade and declares "if it were I who was to be always young, and the picture to grow old! For that - I would give everything". Dorian soon finds that his ill-fated wish has come true, and his portrait now carries the burden of age. As the years pass, Dorian becomes obsessed with sins and evils, for they do not afflict his personal appearance, but rather aid in the deterioration of his portrait, his soul. But, although Dorian continues to sin and think nothing of the consequences of his actions, he is consumed with an overwhelming fear that his portrait and sins will be revealed to the world. Through the actions and sins of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde shows human's weakness to the evils of the world. Wilde urges all readers to renounce sinning for it leads to the deterioration of one's moral principles, but more importantly, creates an everlasting fear that can destroy one's soul and eventually destroy one's desire to live. This story should be read by teenagers everywhere for it shows that the true nature of our character is judged by the beauty of one's soul, rather than the beauty of one's face.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Though it's rather slow to get going in the initial chapters, Oscar Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Gray" builds up into a splendidly effective piece, written in highly polished prose. Dorian Gray, who is suggestively described as "charming" and "beautiful" ... is painted by his friend and admirer, Basil Hallward. Dorian, a self-centered social luminary whose character is reminiscent of Narcissus, makes a bizarre sub-Faustian wish which tragically comes true: that his beautiful portrait may age, while he retains his youthful looks. The conclusion is disastrous, the culmination of a narrative containing elements of murder, suicide, blackmail, a confrontation in a grimy alley and an episode in an opium den. The characters are very well sketched out, particularly the triad of Dorian, Basil and the intellectual cynic, Lord Henry, Dorian's mentor and the mouthpiece of some of Wilde's most cutting amoral opinions. The style is, typically, marvellous, characterised by brilliant exchanges and aphoristic gaiety. Wilde lacerates English bourgeois culture, the conceptions of sin and virtue and the attitudes towards art of his time with tremendous aplomb. Some of his quips are patently snide, sometimes mysogynistic, as in: "Woman represents the triumph of matter over mind, while man represents the triumph of mind over morals." Oh, isn't that just despicable?! I love it!
The Picture of Dorian Gray
If you could retain your youth, what would you give up? What would you be willing to barter? Imagine, you're always young, vibrant, desired and the envy of all those who age around you?The Picture of Dorian Gray doesn't set out to answer the question, just to pose it. Oscar Wilde writes like no other I've read. The prose moves along along like a tempestuous sea. It rolls, it sways, it rocks and occasionally calms before the next surge. Amazing penmanship. Verbose conversations stir between the players as they seek to answer each other's questions and address each other's comments.The main character of the book, for me, was Lord Henry Wotton. A dandy gentleman who, for his own sake, is way too educated. It always seems to be Henry who plants the seeds of thought, or challenges the conventional wisdom which, in turn, sets the other players thinking. Henry meets Dorian as his portrait is finished by Basil Hallward. Henry, struck by Dorian's youth and beauty, remarks that, as Dorian ages, the picture will constantly remind him of who he was. Dorian wishes it the other way around and, his wish is granted but, at what cost? The picture always remains at the age when Dorian was painted yet, the face reflects Dorian's soul. The soul that becomes more dark and damaged.Chapter XI of this book describes, at Sir Henry's urging, Dorian's exploration into life. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before. Oscar Wilde seemed to have gone mad with the pen as he describes riches, wealth, decadence and hedonism. The finest details of objects of desire are described so richly you can almost feel them. This outpouring of prose meanders over many pages. At the end of the chapter I let out a "phew" as I felt Wilde had probably thrown down his pen and gone for a nap. I was exhausted from reading it. How he felt after writing it is anyone's guess.Gray does some horrible things as he develops and eventually, he sees what he's become. The picture, a mirror of his soul, becomes darker and darker as his soul becomes heartless and self-serving.It's great stuff. The book is relatively short yet overflowing with rich text and thought provoking idioms. Enjoy it, digest it, this one is a classic.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
What a wonderfull book. I Love the classic's. There are plenty of great books written today, but the classic's are from other periods in time that show life in a different light.