Il ritratto di Dorian Gray

Di Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde pubblicò Il ritratto di Dorian Gray nel 1891. il romanzo, simbolo del decadentismo, fu accolto dalla critica vittoriana con scandalo e furiose polemiche. La storia narra la vicenda del bellissimo Dorian che ottiene di conservare intatte gioventù e avvenenza, nonostante le mille dissolutezze cui si abbandona. Sarà infatti un suo ritratto, tenuto opportunamente nascosto, a invecchiare al suo posto. Il lavoro è un compendio della filosofia wildiana nella sua ricerca della sensazione intensa e rara, nella negazione di ogni credo. Il ritratto di Dorian Gray sottolinea con forza la supremazia dell'artista sulle leggi morali e sulle convenzioni sociali, idee che Wilde praticò e pagò in prima persona, volendo "vivere la propria vita come un'opera d'arte" e difendendo, attraverso la grazia scherzosa e paradossale del suo inimitabile stile, i valori dell'arte, della cultura, dell'uomo.

• Lingua: Italiano
• Editore: REA Multimedia
• Data di uscita: 7 apr 2012
• ISBN: 9788874171347

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a Dublin-born poet and playwright who studied at the Portora Royal School, before attending Trinity College and Magdalen College, Oxford. The son of two writers, Wilde grew up in an intellectual environment. As a young man, his poetry appeared in various periodicals including Dublin University Magazine. In 1881, he published his first book Poems, an expansive collection of his earlier works. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was released in 1890 followed by the acclaimed plays Lady Windermere’s Fan (1893) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

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Oscar Wilde

Il ritratto di Dorian Gray

ISBN: 9788874171347

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Indice dei contenuti

Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray

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Note

Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

In copertina: Toulouse Lautrec, Henri de Louis Pascal, 1892

© 2015 REA Multimedia

Via S. Agostino 15

67100 L’Aquila

A cura di Fabrizio Cristallo

Questo e-book è un’edizione rivista, rielaborata e corretta, basata su una traduzione del 1934 reperita tramite il Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale. La casa editrice rimane comunque a disposizione di chiunque avesse a vantare ragioni in proposito.

I

Lo studio era pieno di un intenso profumo di rose, e ogni volta che un leggero alito estivo soffiava tra gli alberi del giardino, dalla porta spalancata entrava l’acuto odore dei lilla e quello sottilissimo delle eglantine.

Lord Henry Wotton, dal divano composto di cuscini persiani su cui era disteso fumando le abituali innumerevoli sigarette, riusciva con diletto a distinguere il barbaglio dei tanti fiori color miele, fioriti su rami così fragili, così fragili e tremanti da sopportare a fatica il peso della vivissima luce diffusa; e ad ora ad ora, riusciva a distinguere anche le delicate ombre degli uccelli, attraverso le lunghe cortine di velo tese davanti alla larga finestra.

Al centro dello studio, sopra uno snello cavalletto, si ergeva il ritratto al naturale di un giovane immensamente bello; e di fronte al ritratto, alquanto discosto, era seduto Basil Hallward, il pittore, la cui improvvisa scomparsa, pochi anni prima, aveva destato nel pubblico una grande emozione e suscitato discussioni, ipotesi e commenti.

Quante volte il pittore posava lo sguardo sulla graziosa e bella figura che l’arte sua aveva con singolare squisitezza riprodotta, e altrettante volte un sorriso di gioia rischiarava il suo volto, attardando quasi, insistendo sulle labbra. Trasalì all’improvviso, e, chiusi gli occhi, portò le dita sulle palpebre come per imprigionare nel cervello qualche strano sogno, un sogno di cui forse temeva la fuga.

— Questa è la vostra più grande opera, Basil, la vostra opera più grande, — disse Lord Henry, dolcemente. — Bisogna che l’anno prossimo partecipi all’esposizione di Grosvenor. L’Accademia è troppo vasta e troppo volgare. Tutte le volte che ci sono andato, mi è stato impossibile osservare i quadri per il numero enorme di visitatori, la qual cosa è spaventosa; e mi fu impossibile osservare i visitatori per il numero straordinario di quadri, la qual cosa è ancora più terribile. Grosvenor, a mio parere, è il solo luogo che sia conveniente...

— Io non esporrò la mia opera, mai, — affermò il pittore, scuotendo il capo in quello strano modo che induceva a un riso canzonatorio i suoi amici di Oxford. — No, non la esporrò mai.

Lord Henry alzò gli occhi, e, attraverso le lievi spirali di fumo azzurro che si intrecciavano all’estremità della sigaretta oppiata, fissò Basil meravigliato.

— Voi non la esporrete mai? In nessun luogo? E perché, mio caro? Singolarissimi e strani, siete voialtri pittori! Prima mettete in rivoluzione il mondo, per conquistare un po’ di fama, poi, dopo averla conquistata, sembra che vi affanniate per sbarazzarvene. È ridicolo, perché non esiste che una sola cosa al mondo che sia peggiore della fama, e questa cosa è non averne. Un ritratto di tale fattura, esposto, vi innalzerebbe su tutti i pittori d’Inghilterra e accenderebbe di gelosia i vecchi, se i vecchi riuscissero a provare ancora qualche sensazione.

— So che voi ridete di me, — replicò Basil, — ma davvero non posso esporlo. Ho dato a quel ritratto troppa parte di me stesso.

Lord Henry si sdraiò sul divano, ridendo...

— Sapevo che avreste riso, ma non per questo la cosa cambia aspetto.

— Troppa parte di voi stesso...! Non vi credevo così vanitoso, Basil. Veramente, io non scorgo nessuna somiglianza fra voi, dalla figura rude e forte, dai capelli neri come l’ebano e questo giovane Adone dalle sembianze fuse con avorio e foglie di rosa. Quello è Narciso in persona, mentre voi... È manifesto che dal vostro volto traspare l’intelligenza e il resto... Ma la Bellezza, la reale Bellezza finisce dove comincia l’espressione dell’intelletto. L’intellettualità, in se stessa, non è altro che un modo di esagerare, e distrugge l’armonia di ogni volto. Nell’istante stesso che noi ci mettiamo seduti a pensare, diventiamo o tutto naso o tutta fronte, qualcosa di orribile, insomma. Vedete, ad esempio, quelli che sono arrivati ad una grande altezza: sono semplicemente spaventosi. Resta l’eccezione della Chiesa. Ma nella Chiesa non si pensa. Un vescovo ripete a ventiquattro anni quello che ha imparato a diciotto, e la conseguenza di tutto ciò è che in lui si conserva inalterato e piacevole l’aspetto. Il vostro misterioso giovane amico, del quale ignoro il nome, ma il cui ritratto mi suggestiona veramente, non deve aver mai pensato. Di ciò sono sicurissimo. Egli è una meravigliosa creatura senza cervello, che d’inverno potrebbe sempre sostituire i fiori, qui da noi; o rinfrescarci, d’estate, l’intelligenza. Non vi adulate, Basil, credendo che abbiate infuso troppa parte di voi a quel ritratto: invece voi non gli assomigliate affatto.

— Voi non mi comprendete. Henry, voi non mi comprendete, — rispose l’artista. — Oh, so benissimo, io, di non somigliare al ritratto dipinto, lo so benissimo! Mi addolorerei sinceramente se dovessi somigliare al mio dipinto. Perché disapprovate? Perché alzate le spalle? È così. Vi dico la verità. Sulle distinzioni psichiche e intellettuali, grava una fatalità, una specie di sinistra fatalità. Meglio non differire dai propri contemporanei. Premesso ciò, la distribuzione migliore, nella vita, è rappresentata dai cretini e dagli sciocchi. Siedono a piacimento e sbadigliano allo spettacolo. Non conoscono né la vittoria, né la disfatta. Vivono come vorremmo vivere noi, indisturbati, indifferenti e tranquilli. Non annoiano gli altri, e non sono annoiati da loro. Ma voi, Henry, per il vostro casato e per le vostre ricchezze; io, per il mio cervello così com’è, e per la mia arte, con le imperfezioni che le sono proprie; Dorian Gray per la sua bellezza, noi soffriremo questi doni che ci hanno dato gli dei, soffriremo terribilmente...

— Dorian Gray? È questo il nome del giovane Adone? — domandò Lord Henry, accostandosi a Basil Hallward.

— Sì, questo è il suo nome. Non volevo dirvelo. Perché?

— Oh! Mi è impossibile spiegarvi il perché. Quando io amo intensamente qualcuno, non ne dico mai ad altri il nome. Questa cosa è, per la mia anima, come una leggenda, una tradizione. Ho imparato ad amare il segreto. Io ritengo che il segreto sia l’unica forza in grado di rendere misteriosa e meravigliosa la vita moderna. La cosa più comune e più volgare ci sembra piena di fascino solo se qualcuno ce la nasconde. Tuttavia voi dovete senza dubbio ritenermi folle a sentirmi parlare così, non è vero?

— Niente affatto, — rispose Lord Henry, — niente affatto, mio caro Basil. Voi non dovete dimenticare che io sono ammogliato, e che il solo conforto del matrimonio sta nel fatto che fabbrica una vita di frode assolutamente necessaria ai coniugi. Io non so mai dove sia mia moglie e mia moglie non sa mai quello che faccio io. Quando ci incontriamo — e ci incontriamo sempre che si pranzi insieme fuori casa o sempre che si vada al palazzo del Duca — ci raccontiamo i fatti più assurdi con la massima disinvoltura e con la massima serietà. In questo ordine di idee, mia moglie mi è superiore. Non si confonde mai ricordando le date, mentre io mi confondo spesso e quando lei se ne accorge non si irrita e non dà in escandescenze. Qualche volta mi piacerebbe che ciò avvenisse, ma lei si accontenta di ridermi in faccia.

— Non mi piace il modo in cui parlate della vostra vita coniugale, — disse Basil Hallward, dirigendosi verso la porta del giardino. — So che non solo siete un eccellente marito, ma siete anche geloso delle vostre virtù. Ecco, siete veramente straordinario, siete un uomo singolarissimo. Non dite mai una cosa morale e non commettete mai azioni meno che oneste. Il vostro cinismo è semplicemente una posa.

— Anche essere naturali è una posa, la più irritante che io conosca, — esclamò Lord Henry, infiorando l’affermazione con una fresca risata.

Sì avviarono insieme nel giardino e sedettero su un lungo sedile di bambù all’ombra di un boschetto di lauri. I raggi del sole scivolavano su le foglie terse e lucenti; belle margherite d’argento tremavano nell’erba.

Dopo un breve silenzio, Lord Henry guardò l’orologio.

— Devo assentarmi, Basil, — mormorò Henry, — ma prima di andarmene vorrei avere una risposta alla domanda che vi ho fatto prima..

— Quale domanda? — disse il pittore tenendo gli occhi a terra.

— La sapete...

— Ma no, Henry.

— Via, ve la ripeterò. Mi è necessario che voi mi spieghiate il motivo della vostra avversione ad esporre il ritratto di Dorian Gray.

— Ve l’ho detto.

— No. Avete soltanto dichiarato che la vostra decisione nasce dall’aver infuso al ritratto troppa parte di voi stesso. Ciò è puerile...

— Henry, — disse Basil Hallward, scrutandolo con intensità, — ogni ritratto dipinto con profondità diviene il ritratto stesso dell’artista, non più del modello. Il modello non è che un incidente, un’occasione. Sulla tela colorata il pittore non rivela mai il modello, quanto piuttosto se stesso. Il motivo per cui non esporrò mai questo ritratto consiste nel terrore che ho di mostrare al pubblico, in tale maniera, il segreto della mia anima!

Lord Henry scoppiò in una risata...

— Qual è il vostro segreto?

— Ve lo confesso, — rispose Hallward, offuscandosi di colpo.

— Vi ascolto con la massima attenzione, Basil, — continuò l’amico.

— Oh! La cosa è di poca importanza, — disse il pittore, — e ritengo che non riuscirete a comprenderla. Forse non mi crederete affatto.

Lord Henry sorrise, e, curvandosi, colse tra una Margaret dal prato.

— Per conto mio, ritengo, invece, che comprenderò il vostro segreto, — disse guardando attentamente il piccolo disco dorato dalla raggiera bianca e rosa. — In quanto al credere, dovete sapere che io credo a tutte le cose, anche quelle incredibili.

Il vento staccò qualche fiore degli arbusti e dai rami, e i pesanti rami del lillà dondolarono nel fiato lieve dell’aria.

— Ecco il racconto, — disse il pittore. — Due mesi fa, io ero ai ricevimenti serali di lady Brandon. Voi sapete, Henry, che noi poveri artisti dobbiamo di quando in quando mostrarci in pubblico, tanto per dimostrare che non siamo partecipi delle prerogative dei selvaggi. Finché vi resta un abito nero e una cravatta bianca, tutti, perfino i cambiavalute, possono restare al livello degli uomini civili. Ero dunque nella grande sala da una decina di minuti e conversavo con vedove elegantemente truccate e con accademici noiosissimi, quando mi accorsi, non senza tristezza, che qualcuno mi guardava. Mi voltai un poco e, per la prima volta, vidi Dorian Gray. I nostri sguardi si incontrarono: io divenni pallido. Una singolare paura mi prese... Compresi subito di essere di fronte a una persona così piena di fascino che, se non mi fossi fatto forza, mi avrebbe assorbito completamente con la mia natura con la mia anima con il mio ingegno. Io non voglio ostacoli esteriori nella mia vita. Voi sapete, Henry, quanto io sia hi indipendente. Sono sempre stato maestro di me stesso — o almeno lo sono stato fino al giorno in cui ho incontrato Dorian Gray. Allora... Oh, no! Non so in che modo spiegarvi tutto ciò... Uno strano presentimento sembrava avvertirmi che una crisi terribile avrebbe attraversato la mia vita. Ebbi l’impressione repentina che il destino mi iniziasse a gioie squisite e a squisiti dolori. Rabbrividii e lasciai immediatamente la sala. Non era la mia coscienza che mi faceva agire così, perché mi accorsi che niente di si nascondeva nel mio atto.

— Non c’è differenza tra coscienza e viltà, Basil: coscienza è sinonimo di fermezza, ecco tutto.

— Io non credo in queste cose, Henry, e penso che nemmeno voi vi crediate. Tuttavia, qualunque possa essere stato il motivo — orgoglio, forse, poiché sono orgogliosissimo — la verità è che mi precipitai verso la porta e incontrai con lady Brandon. «Non ve ne andrete così presto, signor Hallward », mi disse... Voi conoscete voi, Henry, il timbro acuto della sua voce...

— Sì, lady Brandon sembra un pavone in tutto, fuorché nella bellezza, — disse Lord Henry, sfogliando la Margaret con le lunghe dita nervose.

— Mi fu impossibile schermirmi da lei. Anzi, mi presentò ad Altezze, a nobili decorati di Stelle e Giarrettiere, a signore molto mature, cariche di tiare gigantesche e di nasi da pappagallo... Parlò di me come del suo miglior amico (e non l’avevo incontrata che una volta sola...). S’era ficcata in testa di volermi lanciare. Credo che, al tempo, uno dei mi quadri avesse avuto un grande successo, e che se ne parlasse nei quotidiani, che sono, come ben sapete, le insegne dell’immortalità. All’improvviso, mi trovai di fronte al giovane il cui aspetto mi aveva stranamente colpito; quasi ci sfiorammo; i nostri sguardi si incontrarono un’altra volta. Senza che la mia volontà lo esigesse, pregai lady Brandon di presentarci. La cosa, forse, non era tanto temeraria, quanto inevitabile. Il fatto è che ci saremmo rivolti la parola senza presentazioni preparatorie: io ne ero sicuro, come lo era Dorian, a quanto lui stesso mi confessò più tardi. Anche lui aveva sentito che noi eravamo destinati a conoscerci.

— E in che modo lady Brandon vi parlò del meraviglioso giovane? — domandò l’amico. — So che lei ha la singolare passione di descrivere, magari con una sola frase, ciascuno dei suoi invitati. Ricordo che una volta mi presentò ad un apoplettico gentleman, carico di onorificenze e nastri, mormorandomi sul suo conto particolari davvero strabilianti che furono uditi senza dubbio da chi si trovava nella sala in quel momento. Ciò mi costrinse a fuggire; io preferisco conoscere da me stesso, in modo diretto, le persone. Lady Brandon tratta gli invitati come un negoziante tratta le merci. Illustra debolezze, manie e abitudini di ciascuno.

— Povera lady Brandon! Siete molto aspro nu lei, — esclamò distrattamente Hallward.

— Mio caro, lei intendeva gettare le basi di un grande ritrovo elegante e non riuscì che ad aprire un ristorante. Come potrei ammirarla...? Ma, ditemi, cosa vi confidò a proposito di Dorian Gray?

— Oh! Cose molto vaghe, indecise, come ad esempio: «È un grazioso giovane! Io e la sua povera mamma eravamo inseparabili. Ciò che fa lui è troppo vago, o meglio, temo che non faccia niente! Ah! Mi ricordo: suona il pianoforte... Non sarebbe meglio il violino, caro signor Gray?» Non riuscimmo a trattenere le risa, e da quel momento io e Dorian fummo amici.

— L’ilarità non è certo un cattivo inizio per un’amicizia, e in se stessa è molto lontana dall’essere una cattiva fine, — disse il giovane Lord, cogliendo un’altra Margaret.

Hallward scosse leggermente il capo...

— Voi non potete comprendere, Henry, — mormorò l’artista, — quale amicizia o quale odio possa diventare in questo caso particolare il sentimento che ci avvicinò. Voi non amate nessuno, o, se preferite, non vi interessa nessuno.

— Quanto siete ingiusto! — esclamò Lord Henry, cacciandosi il cappello sulla nuca e guardando le piccole nubi, che, come

Recensioni su Il ritratto di Dorian Gray

[curlupandread · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I was really surprised by this book. It was better than I thought it would be I really enjoyed it.

[kemilyh1988 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

People get older and lose their looks. Don't whine about it. Moral of the story.

[joe73-1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Great story about some despicable and jaded people.

[nicola26 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. I wish I had read it long ago- I was really missing out. The writing is absolutely beautiful and drew me into the book right from the first page. The story is fascinating, the characters are complex and the plot unfolds perfectly. What I liked most was that I didn't find the book predictable. I really did not see the ending coming and was surprised at every change Dorian went through. I went from loving Dorian to hating him to not being sure how to feel about him. He was quite a nasty character at times but also fascinating. The book came together nicely in the end and overall it was just wonderful.

For more of my reviews and recommendations, visit my blog: here

[georgematt · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Oscar Wilde turns his hand to the gothic horror tale and it's brilliant.

[angelic55blonde · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

This is a great book. I did not find it tedious or boring at all. It's a great read!

[bluenichols_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I know this book was a little controversial but I still thought it was a great read. didnt get the whole controversy about it though.

[nikg83 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

A brilliantly written novel enclosing important life lessons. A bit dragged out towards the end though.

[beezle176 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

exellent timeless classic...!

[lcrouch_9 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

A fascinating study of beauty gone evil.

[bcrowl399 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I think Oscar Wilde was a genius, but some of his passages were too weighty for me.

[christinegrabowski · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

It was based on an interesting premise: A man makes a wish that he will remain as young and beautiful as a painting of himself at age 20. The wish comes true and the painting ages and worse, shows the sins of the man over time. The story is about the effect on Dorian Gray and his soul.The writing was beautiful, poetic at times. I listened to it on CD, and I think the entire disk 4 (or maybe 3) was basically a poetic narrative of Dorian's life from age 20 to 38. I got lost and my mind drifted because there were no scenes. It was way too much summary in my opinion. Of course, the book was written in the late 1800s, so it was probably appropriate for the times. But my biggest issue was the characters. I have a difficult time loving books if I can't identify or at least root for a character. And there was nothing to like about Dorian. He was a rich, vain man who did nothing but take advantage of his looks. Getting into his deluded mind was very creepy, especially when he killed (won't say who) someone with no remorse. At the end, I thought he might redeem himself as his began to realize how terrible his sins were. But even then, he made excuses and continued to act selfishly. And I didn't like his friend, Sir Henry much better.

[ainjel-3 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I knew I would love this book, and love it I did.

You probably know the story, or you know bits of it. But actually reading it is a different experience. It's everything you expect of Wilde: witty. dry. philosophical. hilarious.

The humour meets the dark undertones of sin well, and it makes the story feel full and complete. It's always interesting, although the pages when it goes on with philosophy can be tough to read at times (although usually ultimately humourous, as the characters are all idiots).

All in all, it's a great read. I have nothing bad to say here.

[angelarenea-1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I liked the aging picture thing. Everyone always says that this book has a theme of homosexuality, but I just didn't see it. Perhaps I will re-read it. But ironically it does remind me of being gay, but because of personal things happening at the time with friends rather than what is actually in the book, so you'd think I would have seen it.

[dandelionroots · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Not anywhere near as entrancing as the first time I read it - but that's likely due to me aging a decade. Initially, I found Wilde's witticisms (mainly via Lord Henry) thought-provoking and... sparkly:"The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror."This time 'round, they veered more toward shit-stirring, sound-bite nonsense (intentionally? Lord Henry exists to suggest corruption and watch the show). But so long as you don't view it through the lenses of a purely self-indulgent fuck, I agree AMEN:"To be good is to be in harmony with one's self. Discord is to be forced to be in harmony with others. One's own life - that is the important thing. As for the lives of one's neighbors, if one wished to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt one's moral views about them, but they are not one's concern. Besides, Individualism has really the higher aim. Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality."And it still managed to resonate, albeit less so (which probably means I'm less of an asshole than I was, or just more aware of fellow life):"All ways end at the same point - disillusion."*reread*

[jonfaith · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?

Most people assume we on Goodreads have read everything. It was a shock to many that I had never read Baudelaire until last week. It was a similar disclosure which saw me read this novel for the first time.

This is a bitchy book. My brain afforded the late George Sanders the vocal delivery. Yes, I know he was in a film adaptation, but this sordid sophisticate morality tale demands such. His own end illuminates the pages.

So why should we return to (or discover) this splendid tale, the twist of which has become a cultural landmark? We learn about beauty and privilege. We learn about the weight of ennui and other French decadence. There is sodomy, opium, and suicide. Perhaps I will open a beer and ponder how Youth bolted out the back door.

[ukforever · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

A fantastic plot buried under too many words (mostly coming from the mouth of Lord Henry). It would have made a gripping and terrifying novella or short story. To alter an accusation from Dorian and turn it back on Wilde, "You would sacrifice any reader, Oscar, for the sake of an epigram."

[eraderneely · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

I have read this book 3 times. Every time I swear that I didn't read it - I just remember the synopsis - and then I get halfway through and realize I'm rereading it.

[maryzee_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Waited a long time to read this book. Glad I did.

[angelab86 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I was kind of underwhelmed by this one. Some interesting ideas were brought up, but the story itself wasn't as riveting as I thought it would be.

[cbl_tn · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

As the novel opens, artist Basil Hallward is painting a portrait of an extraordinarily handsome young man, Dorian Gray. In a conversation with his friend, Lord Henry Wotton, Hallward tells him that he believes the portrait is the best work he’s ever done. Lord Henry arranges to meet Dorian and he soon gains influence over the impressionable young man. The finished portrait is remarkable, and Dorian unthinkingly expresses a desire that the portrait would age while he maintained the beauty of youth. Lord Henry encourages Dorian to hedonistic excess. To Dorian’s horror, his portrait becomes uglier as Dorian’s character becomes more and more corrupt. It’s as if the portrait reveals the true state of Dorian’s soul. Although I haven’t seen the academy award-winning film version of this book, I have a feeling that I’d probably like it better than the book. Wilde doesn’t leave enough to the imagination, and much of the horror in the story is diluted by wordiness.

[williemeikle-1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Another one I hadn't read since the '70s, and I wondered whether it might have aged badly, but no, like the picture itself, this is one book that has stayed as fresh and young as when it was created.

Wilde's way with an aphorism is brilliant, and not just Dorian, but Sir Henry Wooton in particular are fully rounded characters, and perfect foils for Wilde's wit and almost casual brilliance.

I wondered whether the movie representations would change the book for me, but all they have done is remind me how little of Wilde's inimitable style has ever transferred to the big screen.

Beautifully written, sharp and incisive and strangely grotesque in places, I was immersed for the duration. A true classic.

[themythbookshelf · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

There's something in nineteenth-century British literature that I am drawn to—there is a certain musicality or lyricism to it that I love, despite its inspirations often being delusional, fantastical and at times even fetishistic. So it is of little surprise that I found The Picture of Dorian Gray a sweeping read, and one that I had little dissatisfactions with, stylistically.When painter Basil Hallward first sets his eyes upon Dorian Gray, he is a young, captivating soul of speechless beauty. Combined with his social standing, his allure sets his name aflame across countless of social spheres within England. The story begins when Basil makes Dorian his muse, and asks him to sit for a portrait that, little do they both know, will become much more than the painter's magnum opus. Lord Henry, a wealthy friend of Basil, quickly enters the scene, instilling in the Adonis a roaring, dizzying passion for life: “the few words that Basil’s friend had said to him…had touched some secret chord that had never been touched before, but that he felt now was vibrating and throbbing to curious pulses” (21). It is the whimsical, at times paradoxical musings of Lord Henry that transform Dorian Gray, whose adoration for his own portrait become the root of the story’s unfoldment.This was my first proper exposure to Wilde’s work, and it surely was a pleasant experience. I do not know the reason as to why this was his only novel, but it certainly encapsulates his interest in the Aesthetic Movement (“Art for Art’s Sake”). Filled with a rather spiritualistic love for art, humor, and thrill it makes for a lovely (and easy) read, though it lacks the depth, the grittiness, that I was looking for. But this may very well be as a consequence of its loyalty to the values of Wilde’s movement, where art existed free of social, moral and even logical obligations. This novel lacks substance or a core, but ultimately our own conclusions, our own thoughts emerge out of it to appease our own sense of what good literature should be.

[jpwickwire · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I never really wanted to read any Oscar Wilde books; they just didn't interest me. But while I was learning to use CeltX script software, "The Importance of Being Earnest" was included as a free example text. I was hooked immediately.Several plays later, I finally pick up "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It has fast become one of my favorite novels of all time.With each of the characters playing to an extreme of Wilde's personality, rather than getting a picture of Dorian Gray, you get a picture of Wilde's life. And what a rich life it was. Of course, I've been mildly infatuated with the Regency/Victorian since I read "Pride and Prejudice", but Dorian Gray succesfully turned that infatuation into what one might call an obsession.Between the vivid and beautiful prose, the witty dialogue and character relationships, and the compellingly simple story itself, I couldn't put this book down. It's a great read even if you don't like Victorian lit or history--a great read even if you're not a fan of Oscar Wilde--and a great read even if you don't like history. And, of course, if you like any or all of thsoe things, it's an *awesome* read.I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

[breic-1 · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

I never connected with this novel. Probably because I just read "The Importance of Being Earnest," from the very beginning, Lord Henry's aphoristic pronouncements felt forced. In a humorous play they make sense, but here they are awkward and out of place. I don't think the characters or story ever became fully authentic; in the worst parts, they just became abstractions.

[ffortuna_6 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

There's a lot going on here for such a slender book, but I should expect nothing less from Oscar Wilde. It reads a little clunky at the beginning, it's just wit-wit-wit and since it's almost all coming from one character in large paragraphs, it doesn't move as smoothly as one of Wilde's plays. Those sections set the tone for the rest of the book, though. Without them, you wouldn't understand Lord Henry, and without that knowledge the book would be very hard to parse indeed. Although it's a character study of Dorian Gray, or a character drama or something like that, Lord Henry is the inciting incident, the fulcrum of the action, and the most complex character. People are constantly insisting "Oh, you don't believe that awful thing you just said," and he doesn't, but that makes him all the worse. Dorian tells him late in the book, "You would sacrifice anybody, Harry, for the sake of an epigram," and that's the horrible truth of him. I wish we'd had some insight into his opinion of his artwork, aka Dorian Gray's twisted nature, after it was finished, but I suppose we don't really need it, and that might have explained things away too much.Dorian is interesting too, though. The gradual development of his character is really masterful, done partly in implications and partly with stated facts. His self-delusion -- acting as if he's the one who's been wronged when a girl commits suicide because of him, and only deepening in the climax -- is perfectly believable. This is a book that would stand repeated readings and analysis to tease out the different threads and their implications, and I won't try to do that here. I must say, though, I'm quite blown away by how the "picture of Dorian Gray" idea seems like such an archetype now, when it's only famous because of this book. I mean to say, the idea of a man staying young while his picture grows old seems like such a mythical, omnipresent idea, like the idea of a vampire or a werewolf, but it wasn't before this. Having now read the book, I'd say the impact is well-deserved, and reading the book is valuable because of how many themes it involves that other books may not be willing to address. A lot of books shy away from depicting realistic selfishness, but this one doesn't.

[tim6taylor · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

A great story that held my interest to the end, but I couldn't help but feeling that it's a stretched novella rather than a short novel. I think the same story could have been told just as well in half the length.

[cj82487 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June. . . . If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that—for that—I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!
Basil, the painter, puts all his soul into his full-length portrait of Dorian Gray. The painting is the most beautiful work the artist has ever created and after speaking with Lord Henry begins to think beauty is the only thing worth pursuing in life.Upon seeing the finished portrait, Dorian so strongly desires to stay as young as he is depicted instead of growing old that his wish ends up coming true. Throughout his life, the painting is hidden and kept locked away. It shows the wear and tear of Dorian's life and sins while his face remains beautiful. Is a beautiful life the only one worth living, or has Dorian received more than he wished for in the end?


For this review and more visit Under Literary Construction.

This book was selected by my book club this month and I was pretty excited to start reading it, which might have been this books downfall. Sometimes, I get so excited to get my hands on a book or movie that when I finally read or watch it, it fails to meet my expectations. Not that I didn't enjoy this, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

Overall, I am glad I was finally able to read this book. Here are the Pros & Cons:

PROS:

• The story was a little bit of horror, a little bit of romance, a lot of dialogue, and a bit of suspense tossed in for good measure. Dorian cursing himself and his painting was both expected (because I knew a little bit about the story already) and unexpected. When it happened, it was still a bit of surprise and the amount of damage that was shown on the painting over the years was shocking. Dorian really did some damage in his lifetime.



• I felt like it provided a clear image of the time. The dialogue, while it wasn't my favorite part of the novel, was dated and I mean that in a good way. Lord Henry had something to say about everything and everyone and was never a man to not have an opinion, which leads me to my next point.



• The characters were striking. At one point, I didn't like any of them. I hated Lord Henry, I despised Dorian, and I thought Basil was a bit snooty. As time went on, I still disliked Henry (but he gets a dose of karma in the end), I felt bad for Basil, and I almost sympathized with Dorian, just barely.



• The preface was one of my favorite aspects. The preface was added after the first publication as a sort of "Here is what I think of your criticism" from Wilde. In it, Wilde defends his novel about criticism, remarks on how his novel should be read and explains the artist's role in society.
  
  
  
  • "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all."
  
  
  
  


• The length is long enough to provide a detailed story but short enough to not be too difficult to get through. One of my problems with large books is that, usually, I get bored at some point because too much of it seems like filler. With Wilde's novel, it was just the right length to enjoy and take my time with it.

CONS:

• I felt myself having to analyze the dialogue for hidden meanings. The banter back and forth was a little boring at times. Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite parts about being an English major is dissecting texts, but I don't like to have to do this all of the time with my personal readings. I want something that is more entertaining than the texts I have to read for school and, at times, this novel was more work to read than fun.



• The story was slow to get moving. I had trouble getting into it at first and even after I made it to the halfway point, I had trouble diving in once I picked it back up. Some books, 2 sentences in and I'm transported to another world, but with this novel there were some chapters that I was reading just to get through to the next chapter and I wasn't enjoying.



• The last 1/4 of the book was the best part. I list this as a con because, as a whole, much of the novel has not left a mark on me. There is the part in the beginning where Dorian's painting is revealed and then the series of "Oh my gosh" events in the end, but much of the novel is a bit of a blur. It isn't memorable.

While I enjoyed reading Wilde's classic novel, it didn't exactly live up to my expectations. I would, however, like to see this movie come to life. I think the plot is fascinating and appeals to a wide array of audiences and should be a book that everyone reads at some point or another. Honestly, I am surprised I haven't been assigned this novel and were instead assigned The Importance of Being Earnest recently, but I am not quite done with school. There is still a chance Dorian Gray will appear in my future and I am fine with that. I do not regret reading it, I just think my expectations were a little high since I have heard so many "That book is amazing" comments.

[silva_44 · Valutazione: 1 su 5 stelle]

Absolutely horrid. I had wanted to read this book for a very long time, but it sat on my shelf for many years; I have now determined that that is precisely where it should have stayed. The novel is really a mix of an essay on Morals, Philosophy, Religion, and Art, with the story awkwardly mixed in. I found myself skipping huge sections of Lord Henry's awful sentiments about Life. The only redeeming part of the novel is that instead of embracing his descent into immorality, like so many modern characters seem to do, Dorian Gray is pronouncedly unhappy, and in the end, loses what he has so hoped to preserve.

[miss_scarlet_1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

A good book and a pretty easy read. Started out slow and wasn't quite what I expected. I expected a more grisly portrayal and the book was somewhat subtle. It may in fact be a good thing. The ending definitely made up for the dull moments in the story.