The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Today I finished reading the classic novel, A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I think old Oscar was very ahead of his time in his thinking. The book is about an artist, Basil Hallward, who paints a portrait of Mr. Gray that he thinks is his best work of art, and holds a bit of himself in the painting. He is also obsessed with Dorian Gray, a young, innocent, good looking man, his muse of sorts, who inspires his best art. The other main character, Lord Henry Wotton or Harry, is a bit of a pessimist who corrupts Dorian Gray's innocence with his cynical views on life and relationships. Dorian Gray destroys his soul in his quest for pleasure for the sake of pleasure only. The painting shows the decay of his soul, while Dorian stays perpetually young.

Though I don't agree with many of the thoughts expressed by Oscar Wilde, there are some classic quotes in the book that really represent how people of 2011 feel today. Here is a smattering of quotes from throughout the book.

Lord Henry, p. 45, "Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cavemen had known how to laugh, History would have been different."

Lord Henry, p. 46, "To get back one's youth, one has merely to repeat one's follies."

p. 49, "Lord Henry had not yet come in. He was always late on principle, his principle being that punctuality is the thief of time."

Lord Henry, p. 52, "Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed."

Lord Henry (to Dorian Gray), p. 54, "My dear boy, the people who love only once in their lives are really the shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call either the lethargy of custom or their lack of imagination. Faithfulness is to the emotional life what consistency is to the life of the intellect--simply a confession of failure. Faithfulness! I must analyze it someday. The passion for property is in it. There are many things that we would throw away if we were not afraid that others might pick them up."

Dorian Gray (to Lord Henry), p. 60, "How horrid you are! She (Sibyl Vane, Dorian's first love) is all the greatest heroines of the world in one. She is more than an individual (she is an actress). You laugh, but I tell you she has genius. I love her, and I must make her love me. You, who know all the secrets of life, tell me how to charm Sibyl vane to love me! I want to make Romeo jealous. I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter and grow sad. I want a breath of our passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain . . . how I worship her!"

p. 85, Dorian Gray laughed, and tossed his head. "You are quite incorrigible, Harry; but I don't mind. It is impossible to be angry with you. When you see Sibyl Vane, you will feel that the man who could wrong her would be a beast, a beast without a heart. I cannot understand how anyone can wish to shame the thing he loves. I love Sybil Vane. I want to place her on a pedestal of gold, and to see the world worship the woman who is mine. What is marriage? An irrevocable vow. You mock at it for that. Ah! don't mock. It is an irrevocable vow that I want to take. Her trust makes me faithful, her belief makes me good. When I am with ehr, I regret all that you have taught me. I become different from what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere touch of Sibyl Vane's hand makes me forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories. . . your theories about life, your theories about love, your theories about pleasure. All your theories, in fact, Harry."

Lord Henry, p. 87, "Being adored is a nuisance. Women treat us just as Humanity treats its gods. They worship us, and are always bothering us do something for them." (Say What? That's from me. How sexist is that?)

Dorian Gray (to Sybil Vane, a day after he declared his undying love), p. 97, "Yes, he cried, "you have killed my love. You used to stir my imagination. Now you don't even stir my curiosity. You simply produce no effect. I loved you because you were marvelous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are shallow and stupid (OUCH!! Me again.) My God! how mad I was to love you! What a fool I have been! You are nothing to me now. I will never see you again. I will never think of you. I will never mention your name. You don't know what you were to me, once. Why, once. . . Oh, I can't bear to think of it! I wish I had never laid eyes upon you! You have spoiled the romance of my life. How little you can know of love, if you say it mars art! Without your art (acting), you are nothing. I would have made you famous, splendid, magnificent. The world would have worshipped you, and you would have borne my name. What are you now? A third-rate actress with a pretty face." (Talk about rough break-up speeches. No wonder the poor girl committed suicide).

Yesterday, I had actually added several other quotes from the book, but somehow, they were not saved and honestly, I don't feel like looking through the book again to find them. I will say, I'm glad I read the book. There was one chapter that was really hard to get through, but I thought it was an interesting read. Happy reading!