The Picture of Dorian Gray

always in love with Oscar Wilde writing

I've been wanting to read a work from Oscar Wilde for years, and I finally got around to it with this book. The prose is extremely witty and is definitely what you'd expect from somebody with such an incredible reputation in the literary world. The story is very clear and imaginative, but there's something missing from it somewhere that keeps me from giving it a perfect 5-star rating. It wasn't quite at the level of the Sherlock Holmes short stories. Maybe it's because the high quality dialogue by almost every character made too many of the characters seem interchangeable. But it sure is nice to find a book where you can turn to almost any random page and find a quotable line, often MORE than one quotable line.

I really enjoyed this book - I have never read it before and was really looking forward to reading this without any opinion. I thought it would be more spooky but it really is more commentary on the thoughts and feelings of this time. I think I would have enjoyed reading this with a book club so I could have picked over all of the philosophies by the characters. It definitely is dark and I really hated Dorian Gray by the end of it - but I think that was the point!

The print is horrendous. The book is what it is.

One of the 100 books on my list that every man should read. Rank this one in top 10. The novel transcends the and allows the reader to reflect onto oneself the meaning of life and the available pitfalls that can accompany the narcissist in us all.

I would not presume to critique Oscar Wilde's work; it is obviously masterful. The Audible rendition here was very good, in keeping with the period of the piece, with good auditory character definition and pacing. I really enjoyed listening to this book, as it is one of many of the classics I never got around to reading in my earlier years.

A timeless classic that surely created a stir when first published! While I struggled now with the more dated, lengthy dialog and often leisurely pacing, it is hard not to love this story and the many messages that can be discovered within. I find myself pausing often to reflect on society and the superficial standards placed on beauty and youth. That power these elements still hold in today's world. An issue that is still very relevant.

Excellent demonstration of the Wilde`s capacity to create a morbid environment in a very classic fashion. Full of references, it's mandatory for anyone that digs into timeless sci-fi and terror.

Very suspenseful and well worth the read.....one of my favorites