The Picture of Dorian Gray Author: Oscar Wilde | Language: English | ISBN:
1433209144 | Format: PDF
The Picture of Dorian Gray Description
Dorian Gray is a handsome young man who falls in with a group of friends whose amoral philosophies he finds quite appealing. After he has his portrait painted, his frivolity and general demeanor degenerate into wickedness, but only the portrait bears the effects of his descent into decadence and serves as a powerful symbol of Gray's internal ruin. Dorian himself, however, remains as young and unspoiled as the day he first sat for the painting.
Wilde's exploration of life without limits or consequences shocked its late-Victorian audience and remains highly unsettling to modern readers. We, like Dorian Gray, are forced to reconsider whether seemingly total freedom and absolute knowledge are really worth their inner costs.
- Audio CD
- Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc.; Unabridged edition (February 1, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1433209144
- ISBN-13: 978-1433209147
- Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a mesmerizing read dominated by two amazing personalities. Dorian Gray is certainly interesting, but I was much more impressed by his friend and mentor Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian is a perfectly nice, well-meaning young man when we first meet him in the studio of the painter Basil Hallward. Hallward in fact is so drawn to the youth that he draws his greatest inspiration from painting him and just being with him. It is the influence of Hallward's friend Lord Henry which leads to Gray's downfall. There are few characters in literature as decadent, witty, and somehow enchanting as Lord Henry. He is never at a loss for words, fatalistic observations of life and people, sarcastic philosophical musings, and brilliantly devious ideas. Among his world of social decadents and artistic do-nothings, his charm remains redoubtable and highly sought-after. Gray immediately falls under his spell, soon devoting himself to living life to its fullest and enjoying his youth and beauty to the utmost. He solemnly wishes that he could remain young and beautiful forever, that Hallward's exquisite picture of him should bear the marks of age and debauchery rather than himself. To his surprise and ultimate horror, he finds his wish fulfilled. Small lines and creases first appear in the portrait, but after he cruelly breaks the heart of an unfortunate young actress who then takes her own life, the first real signs of horror and blood manifest themselves on his portrait. His love for the ill-fated Sibyl Vane is a sordid, heartbreaking tale, and it marks the culmination of his descent into debauchery. He frequents opium dens and houses of ill repute, justifying all of his worst actions to himself, while the influence of Lord Henry continues to work its black magic on his soul.
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