The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
One of my all time favourite 18th century British novels, first published in 1890 in the July issue of the popular Lippincott's Monthly Magazine- a well-established American literary periodical.
This was Dublin born Oscar Wilde's only novel and made a very controversial impact in the literature of the time. In the late 1880's, this American magazine hoped to increase it's share of an expanding transatlantic market by going to London to meet with a small number of talented literary men who had recently come into the British public's eye. These included Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling and of course, Oscar Wilde. Each of these literary talents created a substantial work that would be added to a list of shorter contributions (poems, reviews etc) that was aimed to broaden the magazine's appeal to audiences in both America and Britain.
-(the above info is taken from the Introduction by Joseph Bristow that appears in the Oxford World Classics edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oxford UP: 2006)-
I've only just begun to read it, but already i'm 20 pages in and hanging on every word. Thanks to the genius of the Oxford World Classics, there is substantial information and explanatory notes included in this edition which I've have found to be very useful both in my first reading of the text during my undergrad and again now in my current re-reading of this text. Editor Joseph Bristow fore-warns readers at the beginning of the introduction that "Readers who do not wish to learn details of the plot will prefer to treat the Introduction as an Afterword" which is just a fancy way of saying "Beware of Spoilers"!! *hehe* But I really suggest that whoever owns this edition of Wilde's novel DO read the Introduction... It really will help you understand and consider and think about the characters and events that occur.
At the novels beginning we encounter the painter Basil Hallward- who in the intro is cited as "a lonely, romantic single man" and Lord Henry Wotton "a married, very dandyish aesthete" who are exchanging words in the painter's London studio about an unfinished portrait of "a young man of extraordinary personal beauty" (Wilde 5). Both of these men seem to be a little older than the subject of Basil's portrait but are still in their own youths and belong to what the late Victorian's called 'Society'- the upper crust who either held titles or commanded professional wealth. In their own ways, both characters have become quite taken with the subject of the painting but for two very different reasons. Basil Hallward has a romantic attraction to Dorian, while Lord Henry considers Dorian as an 'interesting study' or ' a scientific analysis of the passions' (intro xiii).
Now, the language from this time period can prove a bit difficult for most contemporary readers so I will try my best to clarify a few of the words that I have used so far:
- The description of Lord Henry as a "dandyish aesthete":
- i) A dandy (also known as a beau or gallant) is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self. Historically, especially in late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain, a dandy, who was self-made, often strove to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle despite coming from a middle-class background.
- DANDY; "dude, n. U.S. A name given in ridicule to a man affecting an exaggerated fastidiousness in dress, speech, and deportment, and very particular about what is æsthetically ‘good form’; hence, extended to an exquisite, a dandy, ‘a swell’." ( Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press. 1989)
- ii) An æsthete; One who professes a special appreciation of what is beautiful, and endeavors to carry his ideas of beauty into practical manifestation.Cf. ÆSTHETIC.
- An æsthete; A person who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty. Originating from the late 19th century. (Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press)
Does that help a little??
Now that we understand what kind of a person Lord Henry Wotton is and why he might be so interested in young Dorian and his responses to fresh sensations and novel ideas that Lord Henry tempts him to imagine. Which is exactly what Basil Hallward is concerned with when he tries to avoid introducing Lord Henry to him; When he submits to acquainting one with the other, Basil implores Henry (or Harry- as Basil familiarly calls him) saying "He has a simple and a beautiful nature... Don't spoil him. Don't try to influence him..." (Wilde 16). Basil knows that Lord Henry's "[i]nfluence would be bad" and begs him "[not to] take away from me the one person who gives to my art whatever charm it possesses: my life as an artist depends on him" (16). He goes so far as to say "Mind, Happy, I trust you" (16). In these first scenes, Basil is providing the reader with a foreshadowing of Lord Henry's influence over Dorian later to come, but dear reader, it is a most wondrous journey into the next pages of this novel to see for ones self what really becomes of young Dorian Gray.
The novels back cover begins with the following quote; "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it". We will only understand what this means from reading to the end and seeing the outcome... and I can't wait to get there!!!
NB**The original 1890 publication was in 13 chapters, while the 1891 re-published version included 7 new chapters, making it a much longer (20 chapter) novel**
I can't wait to keep reading this wonderful novel and I intend to have it completed by Sunday night. This edition is 188 pages in length, if you're interested :)
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| "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it" |
Onward ..... Read!!
<3
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