Rating: 
Summary: Fatal portrait
Review: A comely, vain, innocent young man named Dorian Gray gets his portrait painted and hides it away in an unused room in his house. After a love affair with an actress goes terribly wrong, he notices that his portrait has altered itself in a curious way. He proceeds to live his life by indulging himself in episodes of increasing debauchery and immorality, wrecking other people's lives and committing blackmail and even murder, and all the while his portrait bears the physical signs of his aging while his own body remains young and fresh. The novel offers some weighty questions: Would we choose to be immoral if we knew we were immortal? Is an artist's work the manifestation of his own latent immorality? Are the world's imperfections, sins, and shames represented better through art than through reality? As much as I admire Oscar Wilde's great play "The Importance of Being Ernest," I must admit that I found some faults with this short novel of his. Despite its florid prose and dialogue containing wickedly caustic wit and punchy aphorisms that evoke a time when conversation was an art, the novel has a strangely artificial, stiff tone. With dialogue that sounds like it would have to be rehearsed before spoken and many scene descriptions that seem like stage directions, it often reads like a play that's been converted into a novel. Interior furnishings are described in the meticulous detail of a Sotheby's catalog; a nice touch, but what's the point? This is an intriguing novel that combines elements of gothic horror and social satire, but it is marred by too many moments of unintentional goofiness.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential reading
Review: Hell can be fun! A book choc-full of bon mots and little phrases to use in everyday life. Wilde was genius personified. Carry this with you always.
Rating:
Summary: Discover your own soul with Oscar Wilde
Review: The tricky plot, the accurate psychological analysis, the theme of the double, of pleasure and sin make this novel still an up-to-date one and I was really fascinated by the scheming protagonist who, in a way or in another, can be told to represent the human being in all his aspects. Compelled by my teacher to read it, I didn't think this book could give me so many hints. Thanks to Oscar Wilde I had my first approach to the Aesthetic ideolgy, absolutely one of the most involving and interesting: let's do "Art just for Art's Sake"! Dorian Gray embodies the new intellectual who thinks life should be lived as a work of art, so that it is possible to stop the destructive power of time. He also stated the only reality is that of impressions and sensations, and everything in life should be done in order to experience every kind of sensations, no matter how to do and what society could think. Well, I'm just a teenager and maybe for this reason I share some of Wilde-Dorian's instances: like me, the protagonist tries to reconcile wills of rebellion, linked to his soul's corruption, with desires of worldiness. In conclusion I think this is one of the best book I've ever read - and I have read al lot. I would suggest it to everybody who's willing to descover the most intimate and deepest aspects of his own soul!
Rating: 
Summary: Was it really his fault?
Review: Dorian Gray was definately an excellent book, although the wording was somewhat outdated. It is an excellent piece of work, but I just had one question about it. Do you really think it was all Dorian's fault that everything happened? I believe Dorian's horrid fate would never have existed if Lord Henry had not been introduced to him. Lord Henry put outrageous ideas into an innocent litte head, and should be noticed as the fault of all of Gray's actions. It just killed me that no one realized what was really happening! But besides that question of fault, it was a grade A book, that I would read again, but not without a dictionary by my side. I recommend it to anyone who likes intelectual reading, and who is willing to sit through outdated talk. Just go for it, it's worth your time, and better yet... it's a short novel!
Rating:
Summary: The price of eternal youth
Review: To be honest, I had two reasons for choosing this book. One was for a class assignment. Having a list to choose from lead to the second reason I picked this- a friend told me she had greatly enjoyed it. Therefore, I began reading with the expectation of having a "nice" read. Other than that, I didn't expect much from the novel. This is one of the times I am glad to say that I was wrong. <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> providea, first and foremost a good storyline. A young man, worried that once his youth and beauty departs he will lose everything, wishes that a portrait painted of him bear all reprecussions of time. After a period of time, this young man, Dorian Gray, discovers he has gotten his wish. However, an old maxim proves true once more in this novel: be careful what you wish for, as Gray learns he will, in fact, get what he deserves as a result of a life of debauchery. Yet an interesting (and certainly unsettling, at least at the time it was written) story line is not all the book has going for it. Wilde provides the reader with three main characters who are well-developed enough to make them convincing. We are given a tempramental artist (another good reason to read this book: anyone with any sort of artistic temprament will greatly appreciate some of the commentary made within the dialogue of the story), who is given to jealousy, a jaded, rather intellectual man who always has an opinon and never hastens to inform those in the vicinity of it, and, finally, a young man who begins the story as a very naive person and changes throughout the book in a seemingly natural manner. A wide variety of smaller characters also help to enhance the plot. In short, this book was one of the most interesting I have ever read. At times, I found myself getting the attention of someone nearby, to point out a line found in one of the passages that I felt they might enjoy or somehow relate to. In one way or another, it is my opinion one would be hard-pressed to find someone who did not relate to something the book. Overall, it was an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Forever young
Review: This sophisticated but crude novel is the story of man's eternal desire for perennial youth, of our vanity and frivolity, of the dangers of messing with the laws of life. Just like "Faust" and "The immortal" by Borges. Dorian Gray is beautiful and irresistible. He is a socialité with a high ego and superficial thinking. When his friend Basil Hallward paints his portrait, Gray expresses his wish that he could stay forever as young and charming as the portrait. The wish comes true. Allured by his depraved friend Henry Wotton, perhaps the best character of the book, Gray jumps into a life of utter pervertion and sin. But, every time he sins, the portrait gets older, while Gray stays young and healthy. His life turns into a maelstrom of sex, lies, murder and crime. Some day he will want to cancel the deal and be normal again. But Fate has other plans. Wilde, a man of the world who vaguely resembles Gray, wrote this masterpiece with a great but dark sense of humor, saying every thing he has to say. It is an ironic view of vanity, of superflous desires. Gray is a man destroyed by his very beauty, to whom an unknown magical power gave the chance to contemplate in his own portrait all the vices that his looks and the world put in his hands. Love becomes carnal lust; passion becomes crime. The characters and the scenes are perfect. Wilde's wit and sarcasm come in full splendor to tell us that the world is dangerous for the soul, when its rules are not followed. But, and it's a big but, it is not a moralizing story. Wilde was not the man to do that. It is a fierce and unrepressed exposition of all the ugly side of us humans, when unchecked by nature. To be rich, beautiful and eternally young is a sure way to hell. And the writing makes it a classical novel. Come go with Wotton and Wilde to the theater, and then to an orgy. You'll wish you age peacefully.
Rating:
Summary: A novel worth a thousand acclaims...
Review: A tale of beuty, love, innocence and cruelty. Wilde did a wonderful job of telling the story of young Dorian Gray, a timeless beuty that never shows his age and whose face never displays his sins. He betrays close friends, is fuel for many a suicide, is down right cruel and unfeeling to any of his numerous loves, is selfish and self immersed; yet his young, beutiful face never shows a trace of ill being. Being in a room with him, drowns anyone with pleasure, peacefulness and charm- it is impossible to look at his face and believe that someone so sweet and innocent in looks would commit any of the evil he is rumored to have done. Instead of himself being affected, a portait of him as a young man endures the strain of his uncouth behavior. This timeless tale, set in England at the turn of the century, would be an excellent story line for any modern novel and would make a wonderful movie. Wilde's writting style is proliferic, poignant and delightful. It captures the language of the time period, yet was easy to read and easy to relate to. Wilde conveys the evil of the aestetic world and how it can drive one to stop at nothing for fear of losing it. And though he hints at such controversial topics such as drugs and homosexuality; it is neither detailed nor graphic; and is only slightly touched on. Throughout the novel, Wilde creates an image and lets the reader fully develop it for himself. I absolutley adored this book and highly reccomend it to anyone. Not for a moment did I think it dull, or too wordy. It is a very easy read (which is difficult to say of such a classic), and incredibly enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A story that is as relevant today as when it was written
Review: The idea of never growing old and having a painting take on all your admoralities is appealing.Dorian reacts as anyone would. He lives life with full adbandonment pays the price.I believe the moral of the story is this. In the end we all pay for our actions.Wilde does a great job building characters and leading the reader into the world of the Englis upper-crust.
Rating:
Summary: Unusual for British Literature
Review: Much of British literature is taken up in story, characterization, and physical setting. Continental literature, as with Germany and France and Russia, is on the other hand mostly ideas. Their books are philosophy books in the guise of literature. Now, in the case of "The Picture of Dorian Gray," we are shown a philosophy book. Wilde, who was British, is not very good at telling a story. In the manner of Dostoyevksi, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is mostly dialogue. The plot is thin and gradual. But, above all else, Wilde is making criticisms of art. Meet Dorian Gray. He is a wonderfully good-looking man. His beauty is shocking to any who behold it (here, we can see Wilde's homosexuality running through). Dorian concentrates on the good life of lustrous sex, booze, and jewelry. The devilish Lord Henry Watton has taken Dorian under his wing, convincing him that religion is fraud, that men are superior to women, that being a 'nice guy' is wrong, and so on. Although the talks of Lord Henry are elaborate and fanciful, an intelligent reader is able to see that Lord Henry is intended as manipulative, evil, and full of false ideas. I had an unfortunate friend who agreed with Lord Henry, not aware that Henry was a 'bad guy.' At any rate, Dorian has an artist-friend, Basil, who paints Dorian on paper. Basil worries that Dorian is lost in a corrupt Lord Henry, who by the way can only be a symbol of Samhain Incarnate. Basil tells Dorian that, one day, age will replace youth. Good-looks will go to hell. Dorian, seeing the portrait, says to himself that the portrait shall instead age, whereas he himself shall remain, as ever, a youthful Dorian. Little does he know, the curse comes true.... As things press on, the picture has a life of its own. It may not talk, but it becomes scarred every time Dorian lies, or cheats, or does bad. Dorian realizes this, and keeps it all a secret, or tries to. Forgive me for my above ramblings, but I think I shown enough of the story. All along, we see Wilde's gift for wit. Believe you me, Wilde has the wit of Voltaire, or G.B. Shaw. It is all cleverally written. In fact, I dare say: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is among the most unique books in Anglo-Saxon literature. Surely, the theme of wanting to be young is nothing new, but Widle's representation of it is convincing and brilliant. My only complaint is that parts of the 'story' are dry and without momentum. But then, this was more of a thinking man's book, like Sarte's "La Nausea," rather than a well-to-do story, like "Catcher in the Rye." I hope I have helped.
Rating:
Summary: Summary Of Dorian Gray..
Review: In London, the well-known artist Basil Hallward meets up with a wealthy young gentleman, Dorian Gray. He paints Dorian's portrait and introduces him to Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry Wotton is a clever nobleman who enjoys manipulating the feelings of his friends by supporting selfishness, admiring youth and beauty, and celebrating the pursuit of pleasure. Dorian thinks a lot about what Lord Henry Wotton¡¯s ideas and looks at his beautiful portrait that Basil had drawn for him and wishes that he would stay forever young¡¦ If there ever was a way. Lord Henry Wotton figures out a way and makes a deal with Dorian. The portraits image would grow old, while he remains forever young. Lord Henry's influence over Dorian grows; meanwhile, Dorian has fallen in love with Sibyl Vane, a young actress who performs in a theater in London's slums. He adores her acting and in turn, she refers to him as "Prince Charming." Despite the fears of her brother, James Vane, she still turns to Dorian, not knowing that he will end up breaking her heart. Sibyl is so caught up in her love for Dorian, she loses her ability to act well and perform as she did before and his love for her vanishes. He rejects her maliciously and that night, he looks at his portrait and notices that a faint sneer has appeared. Frightened, he resolves to make amends with Sibyl the next day, but the following afternoon Lord Henry Wotton brings the news that she has killed herself. Having been under Lord Henry's influence, Dorian decides to put the matter behind him. Dorian decides to hide the painting in a spare room, which he keeps locked. Since he started to get a clue of what is happening around him, he locks up the painting making sure that no one will ever see it. Lord Henry Wotton gives Dorian a book that contained details of the wicked exploits of a 19th century Frenchman, which later on becomes Dorian's bible as he sinks ever deeper into a life of sin and corruption. Eighteen years has passed and the painting grows ever more hideous. While Dorian remains young and handsome, his portrait show¡¯s his true inner self. Finally, he commits his greatest crime: he murders Basil Hallward, and blackmails one of his friends into helping him dispose of the body. The night after the murder, Dorian makes his way to an opium den. He encounters James Vane, who tries to avenge his sister's death by trying to kill him. Dorian escapes and goes to his country estate to host a party. Through his imagination he sees James Vane's face at a window and is brought on by fear and guilt. A hunting party accidentally shoots and kills Vane. Dorian feels safe again. He tries to resolve and amend his life, but cannot get the courage to confess his crimes and the painting reveals what he really is and what he has been hiding form everyone this whole time. Resolving to get rid of the demon in the portrait, Dorian hurried upstairs and seized the same knife he had used on Basil. He stabbed the picture. A horrible cry brought the house servants creeping up to the barred room. Finally, after gaining entrance, they found upon the wall, the splendid portrait of their master. As fresh and beautiful as the day it was painted. On the floor lied a dead man with a knife in his heart. Only the rings on his fingers revealed his identify. It was Dorian Gray, who, in a miscarried struggle to kill his conscience, had killed himself.
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