The Picture of Dorian Gray (Chiltern Classic)

A masterpiece! Except the story that we all know it’s a must read , I also loved the book’s appearance. It was such a joy reading it!

Thomas Hardy complained that censors were prudish so it isn’t just this book which had parts cut. One translator was sent to jail so publishers were under legal threat.There is much repetition in the textual introduction of material in the general introduction.Some of our group thought that we were sold this version under false pretences since there is hardly any extra material and yet there are seven chapters from the World Classics edition missing here.Wilde’s view of marriage was shocking to many of his time. Was that why the book was censored. If can’t be because of homosexuality per se because the uncensored version still had, 'Why is your friendship so fatal to young men?'Is Basil the angel and Lord Henry the devil in Dorian’s ears? The latter urges a pre-Christian, Greek morality.One chapter is self-indulgent and contains much tedious description but otherwise the book skilfully leaves much to the imagination.The anti-Semitism when referring to the theatre manager is typical of its time.The portrait painter acted out of adoration for Dorian. ‘The sitter is merely the accident' Wilde being a Roman Catholic, would have known that ‘accident’ was a technical term in the notion of transubstantiation – if Dorian is the accident, does the painting become the substance - art as sacrament? the painting as the real presence?)The name Dorian evokes ‘Greek love’.The portrait remains ‘in the closet’.Algiers is mentioned – a hangout for English homosexuals.Wilde’s typical bon mots are amusing to start with but become tiresome after a while.Is it autobiographical? Wilde once remarked that it "contains much of me in it. ….that Basil Hall-ward is "what I think I am" but "Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps." Wilde's comment suggests a backward glance to a Greek or "Dorian" Age, but also a forward-looking one to a more permissive time. That Dorian and Lord Henry contain elements of John Gray and Lord Ronald Gower: does not begin to account for the complexity of these characters or for their vibrancy on the page.

Lovely looking book.

First thing you notice is it's weight: it's quite heavy compared to its relatively small size. This is because pages are thick and made of some plastic material. Pages are both see-through as many alternatives. The book feels good to touch and to look at.As for the content - most people know what they buy. Oscar Wilde is a genius of his time: his books are always witty and timeless. This particular story is both interesting and instructive: a pretty person can have an ugly personality, in this case there is a portrait to show it. And as Dorian was hiding his portrait, hypocrites of this world hide their true-selfs.

This book requires patience. I personally went in to it without knowing anything and therefore found it very boring in the beginning. But once I got to about 30-40% in I realised I was reading art. I'm glad I stuck till the end.

top book

Father is very excited to read this book again, arrived on time in great condition

What nonsence to say this is uncensored, the 1970s tv version has as much in its contant and that was a famly vewing play! Who would have such a fragile male ego to think there was any gay material. No form of intamancy was ever eluded to male or female, for all we know the so called vices could be that he ate too much cake!