The Picture of Dorian Gray

Title	The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author	Oscar Wilde
Call Number	PR 5819.A1
Location	2nd Floor Humanities
Rating	Somewhat Recommended
Book Review	Dorian Grey is a young man who has magnificent good looks, is charming, and a member of royal elite of London in the 1890’s. Everyone who meets him is spellbound by his youthful beauty and grace. Artist, Basil Hallward, falls in love with Dorian’s beauty and paints a picture for Dorian that highlights his good looks. Dorian gets depressed when the painting is completed and cry’s out, “How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful.  But this picture will remain always young….If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old!” This is the basic plot of Dorian Grey. The reader witness Dorain Grey’s soul crumble as his vanity and lack of conscious destroy anyone who has love or passion for this young man.  Dorain’s destructive progress is reflected upon the painting, yet he remains beautiful throughout the novel.  This is a morality story that teaches the readers that beauty is shallow and that it is a person’s character that makes a person truly beautiful…or something like that.  This is not a bad story, but it is a bit melodramatic.   Final Grade: B.
Submitted By	James Taylor
Department or Major	CES
Status	Staff
Chapman Email	jptaylor@chapman.edu