The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde, is his first and only book, first published in 1890 by Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. In response to negative reviews critisising the book’s immorality, Wilde rewrote and expanded the novel, republishing to receive only more critical reviews. Now, in the 21st century, we probably overlook the ever-so-vague sins which the protagonist commits.

The book deals with Dorian Gray, a young man who, upon wishing that his portrait would age instead of him, finds his whim granted and lives a life of sin which can only be seen reflected in his portrait. As the novel wanes, the characters surrounding Dorian become more and more distrustful, as speculation about his ever-lasting youth spread, and rumours of opium dens, the docks, and murders most foul linger in the gossip’s ear. The ending is reminiscent of a so many gothic novels, though I won’t seek to ruin it for you.

As a playwright, Wilde achieved immense success with Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). His grasp of plot and character is immaculately converted to the novel, which encapsulates the gothic genre in one foul sweep of the pen. The language is subtly poetical; “[he] could just catch the gleam of the honey-sweet and honey-coloured blossoms of laburnum, whose tremulous branches seemed hardly able to bear the burned of a beauty so flame-like as theirs; and now and then the fantastic shadows of birds in flight flitted across the long tussore-silk curtains that were stretched in front of the huge window, producing a kind of momentary Japanese effect, and making him think of those pallid jade-faced painters of Tokio who, through the medium of an art that is necessarily immobile, seek to convey the sense of swiftness and motion.”

I can only recommend it as a highly enjoyable read.

Plus, for anybody who has read the novel, a Hollywood adaptation is in production, starring Ben Barnes from Prince Caspian as Dorian.