“One of the overlooked classics that I never actally read. I think I would have liked it more if I'd watched a movie or listened to an audiobook - the banter between the characters is terribly witty and suffered from not being heard out loud. The story itself is creative - Dorian Gray is a handsome young man who sits for a portrait. When the painting is finished, he admires it and wishes aloud that he might stay young and beautiful forever, and that the person painting will grow old instead. And it does.
The central theme that Wilde addresses repeatedly is the idea that a person's sins or misdeeds are reflected in their appearance. As Dorian becomes more and more outrageous in his behavior, the portrait becomes more and more ugly and unpleasant to look upon. I find myself wondering if this was a normal expectation in Wilde's time and place - that the unattractive are ugly due to poor moral character? I also pondered the fact that no one would make that assertion aloud today - but pretty people definitely have an easier time in life than ugly people, so perhaps the concept is still alive in our collective social unconscious. ”
emilysk wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009.
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