Book Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray
The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul.
Pretence. Cynicism. Corruption.
I just finished reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. I haven’t seen many people I know who talk about this book.
Now I feel like I must tell the world about it.
I usually avoid writing book reviews in which I build a narrative around it by introducing you to its characters because I feel that’s something that only the original author should do — through the book. I’ll try to keep it that way here as well.
I underestimated this book till I reached mid-chapter. But from there, it transforms. The underlying themes of cynicism, pretence, and a corrupt mindset — start circling in.
I could not stop there. When I was left with the final 20 pages to read, I shut the book (for 5 minutes) began to think.
I wondered how I’d have felt about it if I read it as a 10-year-old. Or as an 18-year-old, and so on.
As a 10-year-old, I’d probably have been curious about the extreme emotions I read in the book.
As an 18 year old, I’d be too distracted and this book would have been wasted on me.
As of today, I felt those extreme emotions and recognised why I would have been distracted.
I did get nostalgic when the book picked up the pace and started delivering elements of darkness but not in its entirety — it was flirtatious at that. I was initially disgusted by the cynicism and the weird statements that flowed into the conversations of the main characters. The backdrop of London never took the center stage.
All of the above for good reasons as you’ll find out when you read the book.
This book compelled me to check out Oscar Wilde’s biography videos. Here’s a good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njSSCBjnsbU. And boy, he sure lived some life — full of controversies, scandals and irresponsible behaviour! Which explained the authenticity I found in the book.
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is a classic masterpiece. You may have read many classics yet this one might hit like none other, that is, if you haven't read it already.
