The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings

Oscar Wilde was one of the foremost representatives of Aestheticism, a movement based on the notion that art exists for no other purpose than its existence itself ("l'art pour l'art"), not for the purpose of social and moral enlightenment. Born in Dublin and a graduate of Oxford's Magdalen College, he initially worked primarily as a journalist, editor and lecturer, but gradually turned to writing and produced his most acclaimed works in the six-year span from 1890 to 1895, roughly coinciding with the period of his romantic involvement with Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, sixteen years his junior. Douglas's strained relationship with his father, John Sholto Douglas, Marquees of Queensberry, eventually resulted in a series of confrontations between Wilde and the Marquees, which first led to a libel suit brought by Wilde against his lover's father (who had openly accused Wilde of "posing as a sodomite" and threatened to disown his son if he didn't give up his acquaintance with the writer) and subsequently to two criminal trials against Wilde for "gross indecencies," based on a law generally interpreted to prohibit homosexual relationships. Sentenced to a two-year term of "hard labor" in Reading Gaol, Wilde emerged from prison in 1897 a spiritually, physically and financially broken man and, unable to continue living in England or Ireland, after three years' wanderings throughout Europe died in 1900 of cerebral meningitis, barely 46 years old. "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Wilde's only novel besides seven plays as well as several works of short fiction, poetry, nonfiction and two fairy tale collections originally written for his two sons, is critical to an understanding of Wilde's body of work and his personality primarily for two reasons: First, because it constitutes one of his earliest fully accomplished formulations of Aestheticism, and secondly because of its undeniable undercurrent of homoeroticism; an inclination which, after a six-year marriage widely thought to initially have been a true love match, Wilde had begun to explore more openly around the time of the novel's creation (1890). The story's title character is an exceptionally handsome young man who, both in the eyes of the artist tasked to paint his portrait, Basil Hallward, and in those of their somewhat older friend Lord Henry Wotton, epitomizes perfect beauty and is coveted by both men for that very reason. Seduced by hedonistic Lord Henry into believing that beauty can literally justify anything, including any act of immorality, Dorian sells his soul for maintaining his beautiful appearance, letting his portrait age in his stead. (In that, his character resembles Goethe's and Marlowe's Faust.) He then quickly turns from an innocent youth into a cruel and calculating man whom society, in its shallow adherence to appearances, nonetheless never associates with any of the results of his cruelty, never looking beyond the surface of his handsome exterior and assuming that a man so beautifu

The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of the greatest books of our time. It is over one hundred years old, but has aged gracefully and is still easily understood and as relevant to matters of life now as it was when it was first published. Though there have been many imitations of it and many film depictions of it, none of them do justice to the real thing. This timeless classic follows the development of a teenager, Dorian Gray, into manhood as the people that he calls his friends corrupt his soul. This is symbolized in a portrait that Gray hides, which was painted by the man who was perhaps his only good-hearted friend, Basil, who later met his untimely demise. Along with the exceptional plot and surprising twist at the end comes the message that Oscar Wilde cunningly imparts to the reader: One must be master of oneself because outside influences often disfigure one down to the deepest part of their soul. On top of all this, the book is also simply well written and entertaining. It is enjoyable because Wilde uses his mastery of everything from satire to suspense to convey his message and an extraordinarily compelling plot to the reader. You should read this book if you are looking for new knowledge, literature with a deep message, or simply a good time. This edition is especially helpful because it has a glossary for the meanings of some older words and supplementary reading written by Oscar Wilde.

In books, magazines, television, etc. in the English-speaking world, we often come across references made to Oscar Wilde, as many people quote his witty sayings and lines. Having come across so many of these references and quotations myself, I was hesitant to pick up any of his works, assuming that to understand and appreciate Wilde I would have to be some kind of a literary scholar. Let me set the record straight: this is definitely not the case at all, as Oscar Wilde is very down to earth and easy to understand. He is a gifted writer and I understand now why people quote him so much. He's a master at putting thoughts to pen and paper so ingeniously. After I found out for myself what he was all about, I regret that I never read his books earlier. I picked up this book that included various works and I was truly amazed at his genius. He interlaces humor with the heavy so cleverly. In all of his works you can easily identify a so-called "dandy", a male character whose one role is to make flippant but ironically true remarks to the dismay of stuffy characters. The quotes we so often see or hear are usually remarks uttered by one of Wilde's dandies. Offering tongue-in-cheek humor with wholehearted honesty, Wilde called a spade, a spade but could so with such brilliant wit. Oh if only I could be even half as gifted with the pen! I am not going to write about any plots of the stories and plays, as other readers have done that already. I simply wanted to say that if you have never read anything by Wilde, I highly recommend you do. I am confidant you will enjoy. You could end up like me, frantically longing to get your hands on as much of his writing as you can.

Published in 1890, this novel by Oscar Wilde is a startling, fantastic portrayal of fin de siecle indulgence and hedonism. The novel is dark in its tone as it describes Dorian's fall from purity, and it involves itself heavily with suicide, death and supernatural occurences. The novel is also somewhat satirical, as Wilde makes reference to the absurd state of social affairs in Victorian London. Ironic and suspenseful, the novel keeps the reader interested in each plot development, and keeps the reader engaged and moved by the beautiful, carefully crafted prose. The story begins with Lord Harry Wotton, utterly captivated by a painting by a friend, the artist Basil Hallward. The painting is of the handsome and unspotted young Dorian Gray. Dorian is stunned at the worldly knowledge of the older gentleman, and soon finds himself under Lord Wotton's care and attention. Harry, the eternal pessimist, schools Dorian in his existential, hedonistic view. Dorian wishes in his vanity that the beautiful painting might age instead of he. When Dorian falls in love with and coldly rebukes a young actress, he returns home to find that the painting bears a faint expression of cruelty and callous; a certain sneer about the mouth. His wish had come true; "the canvas [bore] the burden of his passions and his sins." As the story goes on, Dorian falls further and further into his own mind, indulging his every whim, strangling the lives of most everyone he touches by the ropes of scandal that Dorian is entangled in. Resonating throughout the story are the themes of power and love, overriden by vanity and swept beneath by slight homosexual undertones (easily overlooked by anyone who wants to overlook it). I thoroughly enjoyed this novel; the characters were well-developed, and I could identify with Dorian's desire to find a balance between his selfish motivation to indulge himself and his moral need to free himself from his sins. It is the endless plight of human existence: The moral drive to overcome the sins of our nature. The way the novel was written gives the reader a deep appreciation for Oscar Wilde, and the way in which he writes. The novel was a little difficult here and there, not because it was verbose or stylistically challenging, but merely because it was very in-depth. The book itself is a beautiful work; but moreso than the book itself are the ideas behind it. This is a book that makes one think about consequences of actions, the importance of emotions, of repentance and redemption. I would highly recommend this book. "Something has changed you completely. You look exactly the same wonderful boy who, day after day, used to come down to my studio to sit for his picture. But you were simple, natural and affectionate then. You were the most unspoiled creature in the whole world. Now, I don't know what has come over you. You talk as if you had no heart, no pity in you." - Basil Hallward to Dorian Gray, Chapter 9.

I heard about the ending in this book by a popular speaker who I've enjoyed over the years, and the ending intrigued me enough that I wanted to read the book as well. The story centers on the life of Dorian Gray, who's wish to have his painted portrait age and show signs of moral decay instead of his body comes true. Throughout his life he becomes more and more heinous morally, while retaining his innocent look until his death, which is the suprise ending...Also included in this book are the short stories 'Lord Aurthur Savile's Crime,' 'The Canterville Ghost,' 'The Sphinx Without a Secret,' and 'The Model Millionare.'