Dorian Gray

The original manuscript cover of  'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'

About a year ago I read the book 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'. The first time I came across this personage was in the movie 'The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen'. At first I merely thought Dorian Gray was a made-up character for that particular movie. Until the movie 'Dorian Gray' came out in 2009. I recognized the name and I was bound to watch it. A few weeks later we got our lecture list from Mrs. Van Orshaegen and to my astonishment I saw the book 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray' under the classics section. That's when I finally got to the original story by Oscar Wilde.



A picture of Oscar Wilde

The book is about a young man named Dorian Gray. He inherits his ancestors house in England and moves in. After a certain time he starts meeting some upperclass people and two in particular : Basil Hallward, a painter and Lord Henry Wotton. One day Basil paints a portait of Dorian and Dorian innocently wishes his portait would age instead of him so he would keep his youthful beauty forever. His wish becomes reality and after that he would never again be that innocent and slightly naïve young man but a man with a passion for decadence and sin...

So I think it's quite obvious by now that I really like this story and I would recommend this book to everyone, especially since it's still available on our lecture list this year. As those who have heard about Oscar Wilde before know, he was homosexual and if you read the book (maybe even between the lines) you will notice his sexual preference. So the author has really put something of himself in this book. And of course, watch the movie !