The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde- Book Review

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Wisdom and youth are usually at opposite ends of the spectrum as those who are young wish to be wise and those who have acquired wisdom through experience desire their youth. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic novel about a man who is coming of age in a Victorian society and has newly discovered the benefits of his youth through a friendly acquaintance while his portrait is being painted. At the thought of losing his youth, he prays that the curious portrait and his physical state would switch places so that the painting would reflect the condition of his soul and his age while Dorian outwardly stays eternally youthful. He discovers that his petition has been granted when he notices the portrait has altered after a cruel encounter with someone he has loved ends in her suicide before he can make amends and he hides the portrait in a room in the attic. A new question arises along with the new responsibility of hiding his soul from prying eyes: how far can he push the boundaries of corrupting his soul before he is unrecognizable even to himself?

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Though this book is shorter than a number of classic books it really focuses on three main things: the power of influence in the company you keep, balancing moral responsibility with getting what you want, and the vices and virtues of youth in how you spend it. The author does a great job of transitioning Dorian Gray from innocent and unaware to narcissistically unrepentant by spending a good deal of time in explaining his behaviors. I would not suggest this book to anyone who considers themselves a feminist as there is generally a low opinion of women throughout the book and, even though what makes a life valuable is an important topic, an unhealthy view of suicide is portrayed so I also would not suggest it to those struggling with this issue. This novel has been kept in my library because it is a cautionary tale about how each decision we make, good or bad, leaves a mark on our character and that the people we allow ourselves to be surrounded with,and choose listen to, are the ones we allow to influence those decisions.

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~Bookleaf ~

Listen to this book free! Librivox

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