As one of the first books I read on my Kindle, this one will always be a little special for me. The writing style took more than just a little getting used to, but overall it is a classic tale that was a lot of fun to read. Not sure I'll do much more Oscar Wilde, but I'm glad to have read this one.
Profound
Beautiful and lyrical told with biting wit. Hasn't lost any of it's power. It's a must read.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous
What for most of my life I knew only as the answer to a trivia question, I've now read and enjoyed thoroughly, thanks to Amazon Kindle. His only novel, Oscar Wilde's satire of the upper class in late 19th century Britain mocks their vapid lifestyle, while at times glorying in it, though the story arc comes from the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe. The combination is both delicious and shocking. "Picture" is also a veritable gold mine, or should I say minefield, of ironic aphorisms, most of them emanating from the mind and mouth of Gray's friend and mentor Sir Henry Wooten, who is kind of like Michael Scott of "The Office", except with a functioning brain.
Brilliantly written, entertaining and thought provoking, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" stands highly recommended to readers young and old. It's sad that Wilde lived at a time when homosexuals were persecuted, in his case prosecuted, even moreso than they are now. A giant of 19th century literature could have contributed well into the 20th century, but died penniless, estranged from his birthplace in Ireland, and home in England, at the age of 46 in the year 1900.
Like many of the other reviewers, I've always known the basic premise but never actually read The Picture of DorianGray. Also like many here, I couldn't resist the free version after reading the reviews. The story is original (though of course well told after over a hundred years of publication) and the writing is eloquent and witty. I agree that the chapter about Dorian's exploits and collections did drag on a little but it acted as a segue from youth to middle age and was kind of necessary to show how the years were passed. Otherwise, the entire work was very engaging. I highly recommend reading this book!
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
based on 17 reviews
