The Picture of Dorian Gray

[Meghan Catling]

I love this book. It's really very high on my list of favourites and it's perfection wrapped up in a spooky novel.

The more I think about it, however, I can never seem to place my finger on the things I love most about this book.

It's spooky, disturbing, and it doesn't have a clear protagonist.

I think it may be Wilde's best in my mind,

Discuss? I want to talk about it. Badly.

[Felicia Marie]

This is probably in my top 10 book list. There were parts in this book where I was literally yelling at it out of pure passion. There is just something about this book in general that draws you in and keeps you there until completed. I wish that I was able to express all the things that I want to about my love for this book but I feel as if most of it is beyond words and is just feelings that I have yet to find the correct way to express.

What is even worse is I can hardly ever find anybody who ever feels remotely close to what I feel about this book, so decent discussions never happen. It is a tragedy of the worst kind in my humble opinion.

[Amber Nicole]

I'm pretty sure I read the abridged version but I am definitely open to reading the full story. It is so beautiful how the plot carries itself. It wasn't a complicated story line but it really painted a picture for you, pardon the pun, in the morals department. My favorite moment was when you realized the true reality of the painting. It was such a bold way of writing by Oscar Wilde. Every element of the story came together in the last pages. It was unimaginable to think that a person so well seen could be so evil and twisted inside. It's a reality that is true even today; what lies inside replaces all else in the eventual play of life. A quote that I found meaningful was this:

"Don't, Harry. The soul is a terrible reality. It can be bought,
and sold, and bartered away. It can be poisoned, or made perfect.
There is a soul in each one of us. I know it."

The acceptance that Dorian Gray has, that each of us does have a soul, always caused me to wonder at him. If he knows the true worth of a soul, why does he continue to let his rot away? Why does he condemn himself for eternity?

 

Altogether, and excellent story. I plan on reading the rest of the full version online quite soon. 

[Felicia Marie]

That is one of my favorite quotes from the book!

[Jessica Aileen]

I love how it starts as a aesthetic novel by talking about beauty and then the sudden twist to a more Gothic side, it really kept my interest i couldn't put the book down. 

[Erin Entrada Kelly]

I love this book! Like you said, it's spooky, disturbing and doesn't have a clear protagonist. I think you definitely put your finger on the things to love most. I agree - Wilde's best. What are your thoughts on the film adaptations?

[Grant]

This book is the assigned summer reading for the AP English III class that I signed up for.  I won't be starting it for several weeks, but Ill post here as I go along in reading it.  I've never read anything like this before, especially this old, so I'm not sure what to expect.

[Kieran Arthur Charles McDonald]

I did The Picture of Dorian Gray for my english literature coursework (the theme for my essay was social satire and the picture of dorian gray was my partner text, the main text was the great gatsby). it took me a while to get into, but i usually don't enjoy books that much when i have to write an essay on them, but i do think it is a good book

[David Pratt]

The best thing I found about the time when I was reading it was the effect that it had on me. When a book is very good I tend to get influenced by it in some small way and whilst reading it so for a few weeks whenever I wrote or said anything I sounded like Oscar Wilde... It was awesome!