"All art is quite useless" (The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde)

Member Name: Azurel

Product:	The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Date:	12/04/02 (988 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautifully written horror story

Disadvantages: Not compleatly believable

This story first appeared in an American publication called "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine" in 1890. The novel was overwhelmingly condemned by British journals of the time because it failed to show "a single good and holy impulse in human nature"

We first meet Dorian as a young man who has agreed to sit for the painter Basil Hallward. Basil is captivated by his beauty and paints him several times before attempting a huge full-length portrait of amazing quality and depth; in fact Basil thinks it's his best work ever. This painting is given to Dorian as a gift and forms the focal point of Dorian's undoing.

Basil has taken great care that Dorian should never meet Lord Henry Wotton, but Lord Henry visits Basil at his studio when Dorian is doing a sitting and so the pair meet. Basil knows that meeting Lord Henry is going to have unwanted consequences and so tries to prevent further meetings, however Dorian is interested in the things Lord Henry has to say. Lord Henry causes Dorian to think about how has only a short time to be young and beautiful before old age and infirmness stop him enjoying life and rob him of his beauty. Dorian marvels over the painting and its likeness to him, he laments that he would give his soul if only the painting could get old and disfigured so he could remain youthful and beautiful.

Dorian's life continues to be the usual round of parties, clubs and dinners. Lord Henry continually influences him, and as Basil feared, Dorian is becoming more and more self-absorbed and debauched. A short time later Dorian notices a small change in the portrait and realised that his wish has been granted.

Dorian later thinks he has fallen in love with an actress, but realises too late that it was only the characters she played that made her special, without them she is just a girl. As a further proof of the worsening state of Dorian, when death occurs he is detached from it and sees it as
nothing to do with him, he neither sees nor cares that it was his actions that cause the tragedy.

Despite Dorian's luxurious and extravagant lifestyle the portrait continues to haunt him, he is so terrified that someone will see the, by now hideous, picture that he hides it away in a locked room and frequently rushes off from where ever he is to check on it.

This book is about the vanity of society and its appreciation of beauty as much as its about the moral corruption of the young and innocent, even towards the end when Dorian has been immersed in his search for hedonistic pleasure for years, those around him still think that beauty = virtue and therefore Dorian must be as good and kind as he ever was because he has retained his beauty. Even near the end he is still the darling of London society.

This book is quite believable, but as its a horror story some disbelief has to be suspended in order to fully appreciate the story. For example the fact that Dorian does not age recieves only one comment from Lord Henry, while everyone else seems to not notice.

I found this story very enjoyable and certainly compelling, I had not heard of this book before I read it, I bought it because I had read The Importance of Being Earnest and enjoyed it. Although The Picture of Dorian Gray is more of a Poe horror story it still contains the witty humour and social commentary of Wildes other work. I read this book in one go because it's quite a short book (177pages) and its beautifully written. I would not hesitate in recommending this book to anyone who enjoys a good read.

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