Short & Sweet Treats discussion

Let's discuss The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde!

"Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde’s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author’s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray’s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel’s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, 'a terrible moral in Dorian Gray.'"

I am excited to see this on the list for February. It is one of the books I chose for my personal challenge for 2014 and I've long wanted to find the time to fit this one in. Looking forward...

nice Andrea! I read it in high school so it's time for a re read!

I found this well-written essay that has helped me see The Picture of Dorian Gray in a new light. This is a fairly long excerpt, but worth a look imho:

http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/jour...

"The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Patrick Duggan, Boston University Arts and Sciences Writing Program.

"Oscar Wilde prefaces his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, with a reflection on art, the artist, and the utility of both. After careful scrutiny, he concludes: “All art is quite useless”. In this one sentence, Wilde encapsulates the complete principles of the Aesthetic Movement popular in Victorian England. That is to say, real art takes no part in molding the social or moral identities of society, nor should it. Art should be beautiful and pleasure its observer, but to imply further-reaching influence would be a mistake. The explosion of aesthetic philosophy in fin-de-siècle English society, as exemplified by Oscar Wilde, was not confined to merely art, however. Rather, the proponents of this philosophy extended it to life itself. Here, aestheticism advocated whatever behavior was likely to maximize the beauty and happiness in one’s life, in the tradition of hedonism. To the aesthete, the ideal life mimics art; it is beautiful, but quite useless beyond its beauty, concerned only with the individual living it. Influences on others, if existent, are trivial at best. Many have read The Picture of Dorian Gray as a novelized sponsor for just this sort of aesthetic lifestyle. However, this story of the rise and fall of Dorian Gray might instead represent an allegory about morality meant to critique, rather than endorse, the obeying of one’s impulses as thoughtlessly and dutifully as aestheticism dictates.

In the novel, Lord Henry Wotton trumpets the aesthetic philosophy with an elegance and bravado that persuade Dorian to trust in the principles he espouses.... Dorian Gray personifies the aesthetic lifestyle in action, pursuing personal gratification with abandon. Yet, while he enjoys these indulgences, his behavior ultimately kills him and others, and he dies unhappier than ever. Rather than an advocate for pure aestheticism, then, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a cautionary tale in which Wilde illustrates the dangers of the aesthetic philosophy when not practiced with prudence. Aestheticism, argues Wilde, too often aligns itself with immorality, resulting in a precarious philosophy that must be practiced deliberately....

The ruination of Dorian Gray, the embodiment of unbridled aestheticism, illustrates the immorality of such a lifestyle and gravely demonstrates its consequences. Wilde uses Dorian Gray not as an advertisement for aestheticism, but rather, he uses Dorian’s life to warn against aestheticism’s hostility toward morality when uncontrolled. Wilde himself admits, in a letter to the St. James’s Gazette, that Dorian Gray “is a story with a moral. And the moral is this: All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment”....

Despite Wilde’s publicly advocating the principles of aestheticism, Dorian’s demise illustrates Wilde’s recognition that aestheticism needs to be properly controlled. While the pursuit of beauty and happiness in life is always Wilde’s ideal, he also implies that the consequences of one’s actions must be thought out and the impact of one’s decisions, beyond oneself, must also be carefully considered before acting on any impulse."

My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Wikipedia identifies the corrupt book given to Dorian:

"Over the next 18 years, he [Dorian] experiments with every vice, mostly under the influence of a "poisonous" French decadence novel, a present from Lord Henry. The title is never revealed in the novel, but at Oscar Wilde's trial he admitted that he had 'had in mind' Joris-Karl Huysmans
"À Rebours," Against Nature."

I enjoyed your review Julia. thank you for sharing it with us. Wilde is right in that anything in excess, such as renunciation, can lead to destruction.

bahahhaa Ashley!!! I LOL'ed!

Sorry--but as much as I disliked the book, Oscar Wilde shouldn't be "Bieberized" lol. (Although Bieber does bear a resemblance to Dorian, with his smirk.)

I read this book a few years back just when I was trying to get back into the classics, so I'm sure there was a lot of stuff I overlooked.

I wasn't fond of the plot or the characters, really, but I did like the whole concept of what evil/immoral acts might look like if you could truly see them.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics...

"Deceptive Picture: How Oscar Wilde painted over “Dorian Gray.”
by Alex Ross August 8, 2011

"The most problematic aspect of Wilde’s revision is the novel’s Preface, with its famous cavalcade of epigrams: “To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim”; “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book”; “All art is quite useless.” These lines, together with new quips for Lord Henry (“Art has no influence upon action. . . . It is superbly sterile”), are related to letters that Wilde wrote to critics and readers after the Lippincott’s publication. They amount to a formalist defense, positing the story as an autonomous object in which diverse readers perceive diverse ideas. But art does reveal the artist, and it does influence action, however unpredictably. In Wilde’s narrative, books are described as “poisonous” agents that enter the bloodstream: an unnamed French book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian discloses new vistas of vice. In the typescript, we learn that the book is “Le Secret de Raoul,” by Catulle Sarrazin—probably a fictional stand-in for Huysmans’s 1884 novel, “Against the Grain,” which describes a gay encounter more explicitly than Wilde ever dared to do. (Wilde read it on his honeymoon.) Above all, there is Basil’s painting, which destroys both its creator and subject. When Mallarmé read the story, he singled out for approval the line “It was the portrait that had done everything.” Art is not innocent, Wilde implies. Violence can be done in its name. Indeed, the twentieth century brought forth many Dorian Grays: fiendishly pure spirits so wrapped up in aesthetics that they become heedless of humanity. Wilde’s anatomy of the confusion between art and life remains pertinent with each new uproar over lurid films, songs, or video games." (bold mine)

Julia wrote: "Sorry--but as much as I disliked the book, Oscar Wilde shouldn't be "Bieberized" lol. (Although Bieber does bear a resemblance to Dorian, with his smirk.)"

I think Beiber should read this as a "warning" ??

The Dorians and Biebers of the world don't listen to warnings; Gray KNOWS he's dooming himself and even tries to change now and then--but for him it's hopeless.

I'm not sure I agree with Wilde on that part, since I DO believe people can change themselves--but when young adults are as lost as Dorian and Justin are, they can't do it without help. Dorian kills the only man who could have helped him--and I don't even know if anyone can get through to this young singer at this point.

Ah. Bieber isn't as hopeless as Gray though. He's just really young. And rich. He's like a college frat brother at a party school...

Hopefully, he'll settle down in a few years. There's a reason car insurance rates go down for males when they reach 25, after all.

Melanti wrote: "Ah. Bieber isn't as hopeless as Gray though. He's just really young. And rich. He's like a college frat brother at a party school...

Hopefully, he'll settle down in a few years. There's a rea..."

I agree with you, Melanti. I am not feeling bad for Justin. Hey, any publicity is good publicity.

Which reminds me of the quote I highlighted yesterday from The Picture of Dorian Gray:

"It is silly of you, for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."

I am sure that is especially true if you are a celebrity today.

Moving away from Bieber, another part of this book deals with being terrified of aging and death. In the U.S. especially, people will go to great lengths to look "younger". They even go through expensive plastic surgery to avoid having their mirrors tell them the truth. There's a name for this: Dorian Gray syndrome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorian_G...

"Dorian Gray syndrome (DGS) denotes a cultural and societal phenomenon characterized by extreme pride in one's own appearance accompanied by difficulties coping with the aging process and with the requirements of maturation. Sufferers of Dorian Gray syndrome may be heavy users of cosmetic medical procedures and products in an attempt to preserve their youth. The syndrome was first described at a symposium on lifestyle drugs and aesthetic medicine (Brosig 2000, Brosig et al. 2001, Euler 2003 et al.)."

Thanks for sharing Julia. Very interesting:)

"Because to influence a person is to give him one's soul. He does not think his natural thoughts or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed. He become an echo of someones else's..." This part blow my mind, I really like the book.

I enjoyed this book, but I can not say I loved it. I really like the premise and I found the writing witty and full of great quotes.

The downside was that there was not one character in the book I cared for. Which is not always a problem, but in this case it was. I found Lord Henry Wotton incredibly annoying and at times wish he would just keep quiet.

I did enjoy it though and will probably re-read it in the future.

"There is a fatality about all physical and intellectual distinction, the sort of fatality that seems to dog through history the faltering steps of kings. It is better not to be different from one’s fellows. The ugly and the stupid have the best of it in this world. They can sit at their ease and gape at the play. If they know nothing of victory, they are at least spared the knowledge of defeat. They live as we all should live—undisturbed, indifferent, and without disquiet. They neither bring ruin upon others, nor even receive from alien hands."



From “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” by Oscar Wilde



Oscar Wilde is not only a refined writer with a masterful prose but also a philosopher who has the ability to disrobe life and see the naked truth that hides under the surface of everything that goes on in our brain. It is true that being stupid have certain advantages. But they are terribly bored and they don’t even know it. I would rather suffer the consequences of an intellect that endures disappointments and frustrations—and even brings a few headaches upon others. As for ugliness, I don’t think that ugliness exists. Look at yourself in the mirror and find the fine lines that others will see when you woo them with your likable personality

I refer back to a line from the New Yorker article posted above: "Art is not innocent, Wilde implies. Violence can be done in its name." I see GREAT ugliness in this book, especially in the treatment of Sybil Vane.

The Boston University article posted above quotes Wilde: "Wilde himself admits, in a letter to the St. James’s Gazette, that Dorian Gray “is a story with a moral. And the moral is this: All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment..."

So I find your comment about not minding if your intellect "brings a few headaches upon others" to contradict what Wilde intended, and certainly contradicts what I try to do in my life. His other comment from the BU article is: "Aestheticism, argues Wilde, too often aligns itself with immorality."

Lord Henry Wotton is the most despicable character in the book, imho. He is the true narcissist; destroying Dorian entertains him, especially when "an unnamed French book that Lord Henry gives to Dorian discloses new vistas of vice. In the typescript, we learn that the book is “Le Secret de Raoul,” by Catulle Sarrazin — probably a fictional stand-in for Huysmans’s 1884 novel, Against the Grain.", an alternate title translation for Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans.


Artist: Ivan Albright
Start Date: 1943
Completion Date:1944
Style: Magic Realism
Genre: literary painting
Technique: oil
Material: canvas
Gallery: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Ivan Albright painted this lurid portrait for the Oscar-winning 1945 movie adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.

This was on my list of "classic reads" for 2014 and I am certainly sorry I chose it. The only character I had any empathy for was Basil and I abhorred the pleasure Lord Henry took in Dorian's behavior. Although Wilde may have written the novel as a cautionary tale against uncontrolled aestheticism, I didn't feel empathy from Wilde for his own doomed characters, which makes me wonder...

I agree, Andrea--the only thing I'd ever read by Wilde was The Importance of Being Earnest, and even there the characters are stereotyped in ways that make the play very dated imho.

It almost seemed that Lord Henry, whom I found despicable, was modeled on Wilde himself. And with all the outrage upon the publication of The Picture of Dorian Gray, maybe Wilde came up with the idea of the book having a "moral" after the fact.

Glad to be done with it.

I have just finished reading this, and I thought it was fascinating. I agree with you Julia, that it feels that Lord Henry seems to be modelled on Oscar Wilde, especially as almost everything he says is a witty one-liner. However, despite disliking the character, due to his amorality, I still found myself laughing at some of his dialogue.
As for Dorian, I was interested by his character, as his refusal to ever accept responsibility for his influence on others is so opposite/different from everything I feel towards the rest of humanity.
Dorian's discovery that one act of goodness - is not destroying someone else's life goodness? - does not cancel out all of the bad things he has done, which ultimately leads to his destruction was another interesting aspect of the story. Particularly given the whole discussion of Catholicism earlier in the novel, and my understanding of the forgiveness of sins.

Mariangel, I highlighted the,same section and this seems to be the direction Wilde is leading me. I like Wilde, like that he resonates today, and like that as a reader you can choose the impact of his writing on you, his influence. Clever quip, tale of morality or a pretty deep treatise on art and the artist. All three are rewarding to me personally.