A review by crufts
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Dorian Gray is young, rich, and beautiful. What more could a man want? As his friend Lord Henry Wotton tells him, youth is the only thing worth having - and yet it is always doomed to fade. Seeing only decline and decay ahead, what is Dorian to do?
In a moment of desperation, he makes a terrible wish - a wish to remain forever young and beautiful. For that, he declares, he would give his very soul...

It is an absolutely brilliant novel, perhaps even more so for being the only one the author ever wrote. It's gothic horror, but never overly lurid; it's philosophical, but never tedious. The Picture of Dorian Gray is everything I ever wanted from one of Poe's short horror stories, only better, easier to follow, and with a proper ending.

Usually I would object to a writer being long-winded, but not here. The author has this amazing talent for dialogue that goes on at length yet maintains interest, such as when Lord Henry makes the case that youth is the only thing worth having. Instead of getting boring, the writing style is so good that it just gets better and better the more you read - like you're being given time to soak into a rich bath of philosophy.

Another thing I liked about the novel is that it's about horrible people, but it's very aware that they are horrible people, and condemns them for it. For example,
Lord Henry is incredibly offensive and sexist, but this doesn't go unnoticed; people around him are constantly reacting to his revolting comments with shock and disapproval
.
In fact, the overall plot is about the downfall of horrible people and the self-defeating consequences of evil.

The beats of the novel are thrilling and terrifying by turns. Several scenes involve dramatic reveals; these moments are drawn out in a way that maximizes their tension and dramatic impact. Meanwhile, moments of crisis wind so tight that you'll probably be chewing your fingernails as you turn the pages. I never felt that any scene missed an opportunity to be more emotional, electrifying, or explosive.

Something else I enjoyed about the novel is that it's about as gay as it could possibly be without actually being gay. There are passions, obsessions, and captivations between the male characters that are pretty darn romantic. As it turns out, the earlier versions of the story were more obvious and explicit about these references. However, these overt passages were cut by the editor (who didn't tell Oscar Wilde he was doing so) before its publication in 1890. Luckily for us, the uncensored version was uncovered and republished in 2011.

The only thing I don't entirely love about the book is that Lord Henry's dialogue is so overtly quotable. Every few sentences he makes yet another witty remark that seems to be jumping off the page. At first it was charming, but then it gradually started to bother me. His dialogue was so clever and perfect and larger-than-life that it was uncanny, like a photoshopped picture. However, I think this could just be what the author intended, since other characters have the same reaction to Lord Henry - they initially find him charming, but later become disconcerted.

If you can't stand stories about horrible people (even if they do ultimately face the consequences), then you might not enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray. Otherwise, I absolutely recommend this classic of English literature.
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