Finally picked up The Picture of Dorian Gray, although I prefer it to be titled as “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”. Portrait, instead of picture, it sounds more classical or high end if the word portrait was used. Anyway, I have always been fascinated by Dorian Gray whenever he appears in supernatural/paranormal/horror stories, movies or series. A handsome young immortal that can be killed only by burning his portrait. But as I read the book, it seems like the Dorian Gray fanfics are far from the original. I was expecting a horror the likes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or monstrous like Frankenstein. But instead, I have met with three English men gossiping about life. One is an inspired artist who puts his soul into his work. The other a cynical aristocrat going around blocking everyone’s positivity about life and then there is our Dorian Gray, the artist’s inspiration. The way he describes Dorian makes me feel like I am reading a BL novel ^^j.
Basil Hallward is the artist, The one who is inspired by Dorian Gray’s innocent and youthful beauty. Who painted the infamous portrait of Dorian Gray. Who introduced Dorian to Lord Henry Wotton, the cynical Lord Henry. Although how cynical Lord Henry was, some of the things he said do make sense in reality. He quickly extinguished Basil’s artistic delusions and I think he is also the reason for Dorian’s corruption.
The story of how Dorian’s portrait grows old and him the person does not, is not a horrific story. It was simply out of the blue. When Dorian looked at the finished portrait that Basil drew of himself, he was fascinated and admittedly fallen in love with this portrait. Lord Henry commented that portraits remind us of our youth when we grow old. Where Dorian right there and then as he stared at his own portrait wished that wouldn’t it be great that he will retain his naïve, innocent youthful handsome face and that the portrait should be the one to grow old and wrinkle, that he will trade his soul for that wish to come true. Little did he know that his wish has come true.
All throughout the book, as years passed by, he has indulged himself in all kinds of illegal acts as well as starting a collection of whatever he fancies. Until when people started to talk behind his back and old friends started to avoid him. Basil confronted him which led to Dorian murdering him on impulse. That was the start of Dorian’s downfall. There are times that he was fine and then there are times that his conscience is eating him from the inside.
Dorian Gray never lived past one lifetime in his creator’s story. In the brink of going mad because of the sins he has committed even though he has gotten away from it, he took upon himself to destroy his portrait as he blamed it for his corruption. But upon slashing and stabbing the portrait, when Dorian was found, he was the one stabbed in the heart. His portrait was back to its original naïve innocent youth and the real Dorian Gray aged as he should lay on the ground dead.
Although the novel of the portrait of Dorian Gray disappointed me because it didn’t meet my horror expectation. However, I still can say it’s a good read.
The social issues that the book tackles maybe a century late but it has some remnants of it in our society.
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