#Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Rating:

5/5 Book Emojis

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A post shared by Rachel Libke (@abookishdragon) on Jun 4, 2018 at 11:43am PDT

Format Used: 

Paperback

Publisher - Penguin Classics 

Pages - 253

*Note: I bought a copy of this book with my own money and no publisher commissioned me to read it. The views below are solely my own.

Review:

"It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for."

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story written by Oscar Wilde for the July 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine about a painter named Basil Hallward whose life crosses with a handsome man named Dorian Gray whom he idealises for his beauty, artistic features and youth. Basil’s friend Lord Henry Wotton is curious of the man who had such an impact on the works of his friends and meets with him. Henry interests Dorian with his philosophical perspective of the world and his cynics towards intellect. Dorian is moved by Henry’s thoughts on how youth and beauty is all vanity and should be celebrated before one loses it to aging. 

Through this book, we see how Dorian tries to escape losing his beauty that was portrayed in a painting by Basil that make him lose his touch with morality.

Soon after its release, the story was widely criticised for its subtle but significant hints of homosexual tension. Though, quite a few people appreciate it for it’s high intellect and psychological backdrop. The concept of art and beauty is very well talked about and Wilde doesn’t leave a single opportunity to elaborate his views and to project the depths of his mind to the readers.

The writing style is extremely iconic and the literary devices used are phenomenally executed. There’s no better person to write such a story than Oscar Wilde that shaped the Decandence Movement into what it was for England and for the rest of the world. 

CONCLUSION:  I definitely recommend this book to every person who understands the true essence of English literature and perceives philosophy well. A masterpiece for all intellectuals!