The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

[brenbell]

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
e-book
Tribeca Books 2010

Summary (amazon.com) After Basil Hallward paints a beautiful young man's portrait, his subject's frivolous wish that the picture change and he remains the same comes true.

Okay first, I'm glad I didn't have to pay for this book.  Secondly, I like Oscar Wilde.  I think his short stories are

Comments

[edenic]

Can you give me a bit more? How did it read like an essay? What's the novel's philosophy? To a certain extent, this 1001 books challenge requires us to act as surrogate readers for others, but this review doesn't really give me a sense of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Can such a famous and well-respected book be so easily written off in three sentences?

I'm curious -- what are your favorite books?

[brenbell]

It read like Oscar Wilde was writing an essay on beauty and art, promoting a certain shallowness. Or at least that what's I got out of since I found it very convoluted and boring.
I understand that we act as surrogates but all my reviews are short and to the point. And as far as can a "Classic" be described in 3 sentences, I think it can. If I had more to say I would. This was a bad book from my point of view although I did make it clear that I like Oscar Wilde's other writings.

[brenbell]

Sorry I for got about your question about what my favorite books are. I really don't have favorites although there are books I would recommend to anyone (like Peter Straub's Shadowland). Hope this answered your question.

[edenic]

I guess I'm just wondering why you're participating in this challenge, as it doesn't seem from your reviews that you're interested in really engaging with the books or the commenters.

But whatever. If that's what you got out of the book, then I suppose I can't ask for more.

Out of curiosity, what's missing from PoDG but present in Wilde's other writings that makes you like them?

[brenbell]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm in this to read books that I would not read otherwise. If you read my review of The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler you would see the difference in reviews. I think that we are here to give our opinions about books. You and I disagree. I'm alright with that, what about you? I think we should just agree to disagree.
As far as Oscar Wilde's writings. I think that his short stories contain a warmth and compassion that is missing in PoDG. His plays have a humor and wit that is missing in PoDG. There is wit and humor (and certain charm in "The Importance of Being Ernest" (the title itself being a play on words that captures the theme of the play). In "The Happy Prince" and "The Selfish Giant" contains compassion, warmth, and a bittersweetness that make these tales wonderful. If the PoDG had any of these my review would have been different but it had none of them.