The Picture of Dorian Gray: Authoritative Texts Backgrounds Reviews and Reactions Criticism (Norton Critical Edition)

Rating:
Summary: An enchanting story by an unforgettable author
Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray is an amazing story told with such wonderful truth and cynicysim as only Wilde could tell it. Not only do I have much of the book highlighted, but it is worn from reading again and again. I would definitly reccomend this brilliant novel to anyone who wants to walk away with a feeling as if they've discovered a treasure they must share with the world.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant beyond words
Review: It's amazing how Wilde's words continue to ring so true in this day and age. This book never ceases to amaze me with its beautiful, flowing prose and the depth in which Wilde explores the paradox of the human condition. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a literary masterpiece that begs to be read again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant portrayl by Rupert Graves of this tale.
Review: For any fan of Rupert Graves, this is a must have. To add to the pleasure of just hearing his smooth voice read a book to you, his characterizations are exquisite and you get so drawn in by it that you completely forget that it's one person doing all these voices. It's a magnificent portrayl of this classic story.I would strongly recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Very good book with twists and turns galore!
Review: Interesting plot, sometimes a little hard to understand, but overall an excellent piece of literature

Rating:
Summary: BORING????
Review: This book has been required reading in High Schools for years. My experience is that school actually demotivates people from wanting to read. How many of us can relate with the feelings of never wanting to read another book after high school. When grades are the motivation to read, people search for the cliff notes and or look for reviews in Encyclopedias. In my High School English class, grades were given on the basis of how many books one read. If you read 8-10 you received an A. The problem was that after knowing one was going to get an A, all reading stopped. Reading is supposed to be done for the joy of it. I hear the word boring used a great deal when reviewing a book. I know so many kids who end up hating reading because they received a poor grade. The classics are challenging books. I would never use boring as an adjective to describe a book however.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Work of Art
Review: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" poses some problems for certain readers. Certainly, it is dated insofar as many other Edwardian novels out of Nineteenth Century England seem trite and shallow (faring badly with what was coming out of Russia at the time: Gripping, universal, human stories from titanic authors like Dostoevsky or Tolstoy). But, cultural handicaps aside, let's give Wilde his due: The book is a treasure trove of wit--from his brilliant epigrams to its very fascinating plot, which anticipates Magical Realism by at least 50 years. That is to say, when one thinks of "Twilight Zone-esque" writing one is put in mind of Kafka, Borges or Grabriel Garcia-Marquez. The best in World Literature. But all of these writers take their cues from Wilde.

Rating:
Summary: A classic; witty, deep, gripping, and beautifully crafted.
Review: This is one book that clearly makes it on the "classics" list. The prose is fabulous and the characters ironic and tragic. Just when one expects the book to become a downward spiral towards the darkest sides of the human spirit, Wilde throws in another of his paradoxes, reminding you of his fantastic sense of humour. Great !

Rating:
Summary: Worth your while:
Review: This book asks some interesting questions in stunning prose: the descriptions of places and events were vividly etched into my mind. (Think Zora Neale Hurston)

Rating:
Summary: this book is not worth your trouble reading it
Review: it was so dumb and it is a waste of your time and i gave it 1 star because that the lowest nember you can give.

Rating:
Summary: one of my all-time favorites
Review: A masterful literary work written by one of the greatest geniuses the world has ever known. What more need be said?