The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Entry by Blake Heaton (Lauryn's husband)

Best book ever!  I'm not kidding.  This book completely blew my mind.  The Preface alone is amazing.  The novel takes place in 19th century England.  It opens with an artist named Basil Hallward.  He is painting a portrait of a young man named Dorian Gray.  As he completes the portrait, Basil's friend Lord Henry calls.  Dorian Gray is at once enraptured by Lord Henry (also called Harry).  Lord Henry plays the part of the advocate.  He never really takes a stance on one item or another, he merely throws out new perspectives.  His dialogue is rich in aphorisms, and paradoxes.  

The story moves from focusing on Basil, to focusing on Lord Henry, and then on to Dorian himself.  Basil wanted to keep Dorian from knowing Lord Henry because he was afraid that he would corrupt Dorian.  When Basil finishes the portrait he gives it to Dorian as a gift.  Dorian begins to spend more and more time with Lord Henry, until Basil is all but forgotten.  Then one night Dorian attends a run down operahouse and is introduced to Sibyl.  Sibyl is an aspiring actress.  She embodies all that is beautiful to Dorian, and so he asks her to marry him.  Then one day Dorian invites Lord Henry and Basil to attend one of Sibyl's plays.  When they do they find her acting abismal.  Dorian immediately loses interest in her and after the play tells her that their engagement is off.  He leaves.  This is his first loss of innocence.  When he returns home he glances at the portrait that Basil painted and detects a change.  He struggles with his emotions throughout the night, and finally decides to go back to Sibyl and try to make things work, only to find out that Sibyl had killed herself after he had left the previous night.  

Dorian views the suicide as a beautiful but selfish act.  Lord Henry does his best to keep Dorian's name out of the scandal.  This is easily accomplished because he never actually told her his name and was known by her as Prince Charming.  Before Sibyl's death her brother vowed revenge on any that hurt her.  Then he went to sea.  

Years begin to pass and Dorian falls deeper and deeper into corruption.  Only he never changes.  He retains his youthful, innocent appearance.  Yet while he retains one persona, his portrait reveals another.  He hides the portrait away in an old study where no one is allowed entry.  There the portrait grows ever more grotesque as continues to wash himself of all innocence.  He feels invincible in his own way.  He ceases to care about others' opinions, and does as he desires.  He sneaks away to places that are shunned by men of his social standing.  

Then one day Basil, who is headed out of town for six months to tour Europe with his art, appears at Dorian's doorstep and asks him for the portrait.  Dorian, angry at Basil, takes him up to show him the portrait.  Basil is astonished, and begs Dorian to confess and change.  Dorian is overcome with anger (he blames his insatiable life on Basil because of the portrait he painted) and kills Basil.  Dorian leaves the body and calls upon his acquaintance Alan Campbell to come and dispose of the body.  Campbell does so grudgingly (there seems to be some sort of animosity between the two, and Dorian seems to have some sort of blackmail on Campbell).  

Later that evening after a dinner party Dorian goes to the docks.  There he meets James, Sibyl's brother.  James confronts Dorian, and Dorian denies ever knowing Sibyl, using his "youth" as proof.  James allows Dorian to go free, and later finds out that Dorian had lied to him.  James begins to stalk Dorian.  Later at a hunting party, James is accidentally shot and killed.  Dorian feels immense relief.  

A few months later Dorian finds himself once again with Lord Henry.  They discuss life, and afterward Dorian returns to his home.  Once there he confronts the now-hated portrait.  He grabs a knife and, bent on destroying the thing that he most hates, stabs the portrait.  The next morning his servants find an old, grotesque looking man lying dead (having been stabbed) in front of a young, innocent portrait of Dorian Gray.

I loved this novel!  The philosophy therein is not for the weak of heart.  I do not believe that I have ever had to think so much when reading a book.  There are multiple thematic layers that are interlaced all throughout the novel.  Dorian himself seems to lose all joy in life because he is free to do as he will.  This ultimate freedom becomes his prison, and he is forever searching for happiness.  To read the novel is to look deep within a man's soul, and watch the struggle when one is no longer held accountable for one's sins.  I could honestly talk about this book for hours.  This is the best book I have read to date, and I look forward to reading a book that can top it.  Oscar Wilde was truly a literary genius.  READ IT!