Writer’s Diary – Book Review – The Picture of Dorian Gray

Book Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray

By: Oscar Wilde

Length: 232 Pages

Genre – Categories: Gothic Fiction | Classic Literary Fiction

We’ll start with the actual description from Amazon and then I will give my review as a reader first, and then as an author of some gothic fiction and mystery romance fiction. I h

Summary from Amazon:

Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is an enduring masterpiece of gothic horror, exploring the corruption of humanity, our desire to sin, and the extremes vanity will lead us to.

Young, handsome, and privileged, Dorian Gray has his portrait painted by the talented Basil Hallward. When Sir Henry Wotton convinces Dorian of the need to indulge in one’s own vanity and to take advantage of his good looks, the young man makes a wish that could become his downfall when he exchanges his soul for eternal youth. As Dorian lives out a selfishly decadent lifestyle, he remains the picture of a perfect gentleman to those around him, but his portrait displays the consequences of an ageing and sinful existence.

First published in 1890 and written with Oscar Wilde’s alluring wit and breathtaking imagery, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a timeless Gothic tragedy, perfect for those interested in classic fantasy and horror.

READER REVIEW: I liked the book very much. It had the usual classic feel to it. You can tell it was written in another era by the language and the descriptions of the surrounding society. It was a societal commentary about the wealthy and how frivolous their lives can be. It was also a statement about how one person can negatively influence another human being and change the course of one’s life. I found this message very strong and Wilde made his point.

The characters were not openly Christian and their lives were filled with sinfulness, so to speak. However, there was reference to the “Christianity in the air” that still existed at that time, in particular about good vs. evil. There was also a strong sense of right vs wrong and how the conscience haunts us, whether a person is religious or not. There is a Christian belief that God writes His laws on everyone’s heart and the experience of guilt by the non-religious is always a sign of this truth. This was very strong in this storyline.

AUTHOR REVIEW: As a reader and an author, I couldn’t help notice how the language had “aged” and how it would be harder to read for younger people. I also noticed that many of the idioms and references were uniquely British, so as an American, I’m sure many of them went right over my head. As an author, I think it’s important to remember that not all readers will be able to understand all idioms and colloquialisms within the story.

Some of the descriptions within The Picture of Dorian Gray made certain parts of the story hard to read. I found myself having to reread certain passages as I began to lose the plotline.

On one hand the idioms and the societal descriptions had a lot to do with setting the stage for the snobbery that Oscar Wilde described so perfectly. But in today’s modern world, it could potentially be a point where a modern reader gets bored and moves onto the next book in their kindle.

GREAT LINES FROM THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY

Picture of Dorian Gray

“The terror of society, which is the basis of morals, the terror of God, which is the secret of religion — these are the two things that govern us. And yet –“
“As he thought of it, a sharp pang of pain struck through him like a knife and made each delicate fibre of his nature quiver. His eyes deepened into amethyst, and across them came a mist of tears. He felt as if a hand of ice had been laid upon his heart.”