Books of 2012: The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

[eveglass]

For a book that came so highly recommended by so many friends, I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed in this one. Yes, Oscar Wilde has a wonderful way with words, flowery and elaborate. Yes, it's a classic of modern literature and I'm glad I read it. Still... disappointed

Comments

[anonymous]

Then you'll have the same problem with Frankenstein and especially Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The endless musings of the tortured soul are not always pleasant to read for our modern sensibilities ;-) A lot of the end of 19th century literature revolves around that. (My Kindle is really good for that - they're all out of copyright so I can explore without spending money on books I'll never reread.)

I did really enjoy Dracula - I thought it was a real adventure novel. Thrilling, lots of action, well written, etc.

[eveglass]

My problem with Dracula was that the whole book led up to a half-page climax and a quarter-page denouement. I found it unsatisfying.