The Picture of Dorian Gray

Ένα πραγματικό αριστούργημα εποχής με περίπλοκους χαρακτήρες που κερδίζουν τον αναγνώστη και είναι κρίμα που για δεκαετίες είχε χαθεί η ακεραιότητα της ιστορίας

Ηθικό δίδαγμα από την αρχή έως το τέλος!!

Ένα πολύ ιδιαίτερο βιβλίο, ο συγγραφέας σκιαγραφεί τους χαρακτήρες με εξαιρετικό τρόπο, και αποδίδει ακόμα πιο εξαιρετικά τον συναισθηματικό τους κόσμο. Πολύ πρωτοποριακό για τα δεδομένα της εποχής του.

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." This book in a sentence - and, yes, a sentence coming from the book itself! If for some dystopian reason the world had to only keep the works of one author and there was an open election on it, I'd have to say: Oscar Wilde... Oscar Wilde is the man with whom we all have to walk through life and take lessons from! Everything about this book just screams perfection. It's the definition of world-changing literature and I think we should all take a minute every day to express gratitude that this book exists. Where do I even begin? Writing: So on point. Oscar Wilde's writing is probably one of the most special and memorable ones in classic literature. His smart character, his innovative way of thinking, his unbelievably genius way of expressing irony towards society's dull prudishness and wannabe "manners"; it almosts feels as if someone time-travelled from the present to the 19th century to point out the problematic parts of life in that period. The man was an absolute brilliance and he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was (*ugh*). But, back to the writing; it was just so absorbing. I wanted to dive in those words and never come out. So true and honest. The ugly, harsh reality of the world and life preached by the guy who had the guts to speak out about it in the most beautiful way possible. Pretty much half of the book was gorgeous, philosophical, wise quotes, you know, the kind you wanna put up on your wall. Some of my favorites: "I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvelous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides it." "Some things are more precious because they don’t last long." "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." "Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them." And that was only a tiny fragment of the quotes I loved! Now, to the plot of the book: it's peculiar how a representative of the movement of aestheticism - an art movement that emphasizes on the aesthetic pleasure that art should provoke and not on the deeper meaning of the content - wrote a story that focuses so much on subjects of morality and leaves the reader's mind so troubled with thoughts. Obviously the book doesn't lack aestheticism; not at all. If anything, even the content of the plot, the importance given to beauty and pleasure instead of morality is the essence of aestheticism. The story has the readers wondering if they'd do the same if they were in Dorian's place, has them reflect on the importance they give to youth and appereance instead of inner beauty and just completely messes up their idea of morality. Honestly, I think it''l be hard for a book to amaze me with its balancing of gorgeous writing and genius plot and moral in the way 'The Portrait of Dorian Grey' did! Absolutely brilliant!

What a terrifying yet amazing piece of literature.