The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I admit that I had anticipated rather too much from the book. And so when towards the end, I felt disappointed, I tried to look at the positives of the work. First, it does provoke thoughts on Hedonism and the evil that the excess of engaging in pleasure may bring about. And second, the background against which the story was narrated, did achieve the intended purpose. But other than that, it did not turn out as promising as the author’s name suggested it to be. The description of Dorian Gray, by Basil, in the beginning of the book was so sugary that it appeared illusive. The emphasis on the explanation of concept of beauty and youth made the reading experience repulsive. Just felt too dramatic. The dialogues between Lord Harry and Dorian or between Lord Harry and Basil, did not overwhelm the senses but rather incited a dislike for the characters which negated the process of understanding them psychologically (This being a point where I couldn’t help comparing the author with F. Dostoevsky).

The elaborate description of accumulation of different works of art by Dorian felt unnecessary and induced me to skim through some of the pages. More importantly, it did not seem to serve the purpose of story building, after the crucial incident of Sibyl Vane. And finally, the Picture, though offered itself like a mirror to the corrupted soul, but the portrayal made the humanity seem shallower and hence, was depressing.





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