The Picture of Dorian Gray is a Classic neo-Gothic literary novel that has been revived and revisited in so many homages, from literature to music to film to pop culture. But how immortal is the original book by Oscar Wilde, really?

I am not going to go into great depths as far as the plot or go into details in case you want to read the book for yourself, but I will provide some insights into the scene and setup. Dorian Gray is a young socialite rising to status. He is incredibly handsome and his boyish good looks are interpreted throughout the book as signs of a pure, untarnished soul.

The story opens with artist Basil Hallward having painted a splendid portrait of Dorian Gray which piques Lord Henry Watton’s interest. Over time, both men become very close to Dorian Gray and, as his two closest friends, pull him in very different directions like shoulder morality guides, with Basil playing the Angel and Lord Henry playing the Devil more or less. Upon contemplating something that Lord Henry has insinuated, Dorian wishes for the portrait to age rather than his actual person, and his wish is mysteriously granted to both good and bad outcome. This creates opportunity within the novel to consider what one could or would do if never perceived to do wrong nor required to answer for one’s actions. The story is much more nuanced and involved than this, but I don’t want to spoil it so I will leave it at that.

What I liked most about The Picture of Dorian Gray were the conversational aspects of the relationships as they develop between the main characters and their respective friendships. There is action, but there is also a lot of talk of what that means, speculating both moral responsibilities and deepest desires. The book provides many philosophical points to ponder art, success, wealth, life, and what it means to truly live. It is eloquently written and provides interesting insights into Victorian culture and a glimpse behind the rigid curtain of propriety of the era.

However, the book is very much a product of its time, and there are many reminders of how much has changed since then. Some of the base, carnal desires as expressed have become more accepted by more people than they were then. The idea that the surface conveys the soul within as pure or corrupt is also a bit dated, though a lot of that depends on how this is said to manifest and who you ask.

Based upon these factors, I will give the book 3.5 Cthulus.

(3.5 / 5)

Note: If you need intense high action drama, cut scenes, high speed car chases, explosions and the like, The Picture of Dorian Gray will likely come across as long, dry and painstakingly slow (undoubtedly not unlike my review of it). But in my mind, the story is well worth reading to get a sense of its own history and cult status. It is rather immortal as we continue to come back to the tale time and again within other stories and references, reconsidering the story in new and subtle ways through all kinds of different media. As it evolves, each iteration speaks tomes about the moral leanings and perceived roles of art and high society in their day.

Moreover, it is impossible to read The Picture of Dorian Gray without reflecting upon Oscar Wilde’s life and challenges he faced, especially having been bankrupted, charged, found guilty, and sentenced to prison for engaging in homosexual acts. Public opinion has shifted drastically since the time of Dorian Gray, but sadly we must remember that this really wasn’t as long ago nor as far away as we might wish it to be. So much has changed in the past 150 years; let us see what the next 150 will bring and how this story regenerates and is reborn to return anew.

You can enjoy some more literary greats I have responded to in my previous posts celebrating Classic poems and Emily Dickinson in particular.