The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde – Reviewed by Guy Portman
Dorian Gray is a privileged young man, blessed with virtue and good looks. So infatuated is artist friend Basil by this beauty, that he paints a full-length portrait of the Adonis. Not long after the completion of the work, Dorian dumps his fiancé. This culminates in her suicide. His culpability in her death asserts itself in a distorting of the portrait.
Over time our protagonist transforms into a depraved, self-indulgent, hedonistic narcissist. But though his character is tarnished, he remains young and beautiful. In contrast the picture, tainted by its subject’s sins, becomes increasingly grotesque.
The poetic prose, dark Gothic theme, philosophical musings and plethora of barbed epigrams will appeal to many. As for this reader, he thoroughly enjoyed the early stages, but was of the opinion that the painting’s mutation should have been revealed in a more suspenseful manner. Other criticisms were the increasingly convoluted storyline and rushed finale.
