The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Welcome once again to the paperback trails. Today on this trail stop we take a look at a classic - The Picture of Dorian Gray by the very erudite and iconic Oscar Wilde. The classics often bear the brunt of being labelled boring or anachronistic and are often relegated to the sort of literature you "have" to read under academic compulsions rather than the type of literature you "want" to read. Well, let me say that a reading of The Picture of Dorian Gray, should change that precedent for you.

Before we begin it is elementary to understand the author Oscar Wilde, as the characters in the book have often been viewed as a manifestation of Wilde's psyche, his apprehensions, his desires etc. Wilde has been hailed as one of the most brilliant and prolific writers of the 19th century. He penned down classics like the Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray and his numerous epigrams. Wilde's characteristic sharp wit, astute observation skills, and an eccentric lifestyle, all, make his works a genuinely fun and engaging read. Oscar Wilde was later embroiled in a controversy pertaining to his sexual leanings (Victorian England wasn't really the best place for homosexuals) and faced a couple of trials for the same.

Having known a little of Oscar Wilde, now let's answer the 3 most important questions of Why, What and How, as usual

Why did I pick up this book? : Well apart from being a really popular classic, I always wanted to read Oscar Wilde because I found his quotations particularly relatable and fascinating. Add to this the fact that there is allegedly a new movie adaptation in the works. I thought this was as good a signal the book gods can give, to pick up this book up. Objectively speaking The Picture of Dorian Gray is a thin book and I could have finished it pretty quickly (check out the How section to see how this myth was debunked).

What is the book about?:   The Picture of Dorian Gray on the surface is the story of a young man Dorian Gray and his journey from innocence to corruption. But describing such a nuanced and layered piece of prose with such facileness would be near sacrilege, so let me try again. Set up in "blimey old London" it is the story of a young boy named Dorian Gray who is introduced to us as a symbol of purity and everything good. But just like in all tragedies, Gray suffers his "fall from grace" as he gets excessively obsessed with pleasure and gives in to his hedonistic desires. Just like the snake tempted Eve at Eden, we have here the debonair and charming Lord Henry Wotton, who with his devil may care attitude, inspires Dorian to indulge unabashedly in pursuit of pleasure. The third important character Basil Hallward is an artist who paints the "Picture of Dorian Gray" and almost worships his muse. The story progresses and we see how Dorian becomes more cavalier, Lord Henry more enigmatic and Basil more hapless, and at the centre of all this lies the god-forsaken portrait which Dorian grows to love, loathe and fear. What eventually happens in this triangle? Well that would be a major spoiler and I would hold my tongue (or my fingers in this case)

How was the book to read? : Let me just say that of all the books I have read so far, very little have so much quotable content. The book is a treasure trove of one-liners and quotes. The book houses elements of witty prose, magical realism and philosophy. The devil may care attitude of Lord Henry Wotton really strikes a chord with you (Wilde is said to have commented that Henry Wotton is what he would like to be in real life). This is despite the fact that Lord Henry is one of the chief reasons causing the downfall of Dorian Gray, yet the tempter is excused from our judgemental snares. Those, my dear friends, are reserved for Dorian as he makes the wrong choices and becomes more brazen with each act of moral decadence. A point to note is that this book is heavily filled with symbolism and metaphors and layers. Despite a thin form factor, it took time to finish the book as I ended up re-reading entire paragraphs lest I should lose out on some layered meaning hinting at some deeper malaise in our characters (or even Wilde himself). Wilde's mastery of observing the mundane is clearly shown here as he, and you can literally see 19th century London with all its lanes and bylanes and tea parties right in front of your eyes.

So do I recommend this book - absolutely Yes!  Halfway into the book and you realise why it's called a classic. You will appreciate the genius that Oscar Wilde was and find doing a lot of thinking as you go through the book, asking questions to yourself and mulling over philosophical questions in general

Can this be your first book? Yes, it can, and yes it should. It is said the first impressions matter and if your first book happens to be a classic, the gratification you feel is just a tad bit more. You've really begun with one of the best literature has to offer and the fact that you actually liked it, only goes to show that this whole reading a book business would be more fun than you thought

You might not like the book if: Philosophical undertones bore you to death and you find current settings more relatable and easier to read. Some of my friends found the ending to be a bit underwhelming but that is a very subjective experience, which varies from person to person.

With this, we come to end our second trail stop. Hope you will read the book and have as much fun watching Dorian Gray's journey as I did. Until next time, keep reading, keep recommending and keep sharing the love, for more the fellow passengers in the paperback trail, more the fun