Joraaver Chahal
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Book Summary
Jan 17, 2021What happens when we confuse beauty with substance?
I accidentally bought a fancy version of the book. Also, points for natural lighting.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is by far one of the most thrilling books I’ve read in a long time. Oscar Wilde, through a limited yet masterfully crafted set of characters, delivers a fascinating story about the pursuit of pleasure. What becomes of a picturesque man who seeks nothing but the whims of his capricious mind? Dorian Gray is by no means that kind of man at the start of the novel, yet the curious intersection of his life with that of the affable but manipulative Lord Henry Wotton, the self absorbed but well-meaning painter Basil Halland, and the captivating but poor actress Sybil Vane changes him. It all starts, and all ends, with a portrait.
I wanted to try something different from my comfy, classic mystery and historical non-fiction, and I stumbled upon this book by jumping around on Goodreads. True to many reviews, it’s a real page turner. Much like Dorian, I enjoyed listening to Lord Henry, wishing I had the facility for conversation that Wilde instils in him. The machinations of his mind, as if the people around him were marionettes and he the marionettist, enthralled me. I’m always itching to understand what makes people tick, why people are the way that they are, and witnessing Dorian Gray’s transformation satisfied that itch. My personal take is that regardless of his deal with the devil, Dorian was written as an unhinged character that just needed a push, which Lord Henry happily provided. Or perhaps it’s just that a blank canvas is the easiest to manipulate. Wilde leaves Dorian’s initial psychological state to our imagination.
I didn’t know about the commentary this book received until after I read it. In my mind, Wilde was addressing more subtle things, the interest in portraits and plays, rather than the grotesque nature of the human condition, the homeless and the starving. I was surprised to learn that Wilde had to fight vehemently to protect his rights as an artist to publish what some considered a subversion of morality. Apparently understanding art as intrinsically beautiful, with no concept of morality attached, was too revolutionary for the people of his time. As if predicting the reception of the book, one of the factors in Dorian’s unraveling is a book lent to him by Lord Henry. Dorian can’t put it down. But afterwards, he implores Lord Henry to never lend the book to anyone else for fear of its disastrous effect on people. Funny.
Is this the face of depravity?[1]
I liked the characters and conversations, as well as the the monologues in the book, the controversy surrounding the book, and the thought-provoking nature of the book. Couldn’t ask for much more, from a book.