The Picture of Dorian Gray

9/10

The only thing in the world worse than talking about this book, is not talking about it. It is sharp, satirical, and utterly remarkable, concluding its commentary on morality and the relationship between art and the artist, in a thoroughly satisfying way.

Numerous exchanges between characters in this novel appear only to be vehicles for humorous lines or pithy insights. Indeed, at one point Dorian says, “You would sacrifice anybody, Harry, for the sake of an epigram”, and one can’t help feeling this also applies to the author. Notable examples included, “But I can’t help detesting my relations. I suppose it comes from the fact that none of us can stand other people having the same faults as ourselves”; “When Aunt Agatha sits down to the piano she makes quite enough noise for two people”; “Nowadays people know the price of everything, and the value of nothing”; “Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious; both are disappointed”; “When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one’s self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance”; “There is always something ridiculous about the emotions of people whom one has ceased to love”; “It is perfectly monstrous,” he said, at last, “the way people go about nowadays saying things against one behind one’s back that are absolutely and entirely true”; “’And what does she get annoyed with you about, Duchess?’ ‘For the most trivial things, Mr. Gray, I assure you. Usually because I come in at ten minutes to nine and tell her that I must be dressed by half-past eight’”; “To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable”. I’ll have to stop there, though I have many more examples of razor sharp moments of hilarity in my notes. For the most part, the quality and beauty of the writing was breath-taking, such as when Dorian waxes lyrical about Sybil Vane’s voice. “I never heard such a voice. It was very low at first, with deep mellow notes, that seemed to fall singly upon one’s ear. Then it became a little louder, and sounded like a flute or a distant hautbois. In the garden-scene it had all the tremulous ecstasy that one hears just before dawn when nightingales are singing. There were moments, later on, when it had the wild passion of violins. You know how a voice can stir one.” While, at times the book could be thrilling, like when Dorian is being pursued or stalked by James Vane and his face appears at the window of the conservatory, one part did drag a little for me. This was the lengthy chapter discussing how Dorian engaged with music and performance and that overviewed his jewels and other treasures.