THREE THINGS THAT MAKE THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY BY OSCAR WILDE THE BEST HORROR NOVEL

Eiyo friends,

Halloween is approaching. Is anyone here excited for Halloween? So what is your plan for Halloween? And what costume will you be wearing? Well, I'm not really a Halloween person. But, I would love to share a post that is related to Halloween. In this post, I would like to share with you a short review of my all-time favorite horror novel that is called The Picture Of Dorian Gray. The Picture of Dorian Gray was written by Oscar Wilde. In this post, I will also share with you three things that make The Picture Of Dorian Gray the best horror novel to me. 

The author, Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer, poet, and playwright during the Victorian era in England. Wilde was a famous literary figure. He published The Picture Of Dorian in 1891. The Picture of Dorian Gray was Wilde's only novel. Besides being a novel and poet, Wilde was also active in theatre.  In 1895, Wilde was arrested and imprisoned for two years of "gross indecency". Wilde died at the age of 46 in 1900 (3 years after he was released from prison).

The novel tells the story of a young, attractive aristocrat named Dorian Gray. At the beginning of the story, Dorian Gray was painted in a painting by a painter named Basil Hallward. The painting turns out beautiful. Dorian was happy and amazed. Dorian Gray's friend Lord Henry Wotton told Dorian that one day he will grow old and grey, and all that will remain is this handsome painting of him. Dorian was vain. He semi-seriously dedicated his soul to the painting and wished it's the painting that will age instead of him. Dorian's wish was granted. He remains young and handsome. But the painting grows old and recorded every sin Dorian did. Dorian didn't have a happy life. He was depressed. At the end of the story, Dorian decided to end the horror by stabbing the painting. But, he was the one who died since his soul was in the painting. The painting becomes young and beautiful again as it was first painted.

The Picture Of Dorian Gray was criticized and panned as an immoral story when it was first published. But today, the novel is considered one of Wilde's most notable works and evergreen classic literature. I read this novel when I was 13 years old. My mother introduced the novel to me. The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorite classic literature novels. Here are three things that glued me into reading the novel from the beginning to the end...


1) The Novel Has Good Storyline

The Picture Of Dorian Gray has a good storyline. It is simple to understand and yet interesting. The story only has three main characters -Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Hallward. Dorian Gray was a young and handsome aristocrat. Dorian was admired for his beauty. It's like beauty is the only thing Dorian Gray has. That makes Dorian very vain and afraid of losing his good looks. Lord Henry Wotton was a friend of Dorian and Basil. Lord Henry was a charming talker with poisonous intellect. Most literature analysts believe that Lord Henry is a devil in disguise. It was Lord Henry who influenced Dorian to sell his soul to the painting. Basil Hallward was a talented artist and painter. He was the painter who painted Dorian Gray's painting. In the novel, Basil was obsessed with Dorian Gray's beauty. Most analysts believe that Basil's character was homosexual. But Wilde didn't portray it clearly in the novel. The novel also has a very dark plot.


2)  Oscar Wilde's Writing

I like Oscar Wilde's writing. His writing is simple and not complicated to understand. The author uses a lot of dialogues in his writing. That makes the story interesting. The writer also manages to create a perfect balance of light and shade. The storyline trotting from scene to scene.


3) The Moral Of The Story

The Picture of Dorian Gray doesn't talk about sexuality, it talks about beauty. The story critiques the hypocritical modern society. The author makes a genuine attempt to expose society's irrational obsession with outer beauty, and the internal struggle a person faces chronically. In the novel, Dorian Gray was admired for his outer beauty. He was also torn between the rationality of Basil and the temp of Lord Henry.


I only read The Picture of Dorian Gray once, and that was 20 years ago. But I still remember the story. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a beautiful classic literature to read. Overall, I rated The Picture of Dorian Gray 8/10. I also highly recommend bookworms, literature and horror lovers to read The Picture of Dorian Gray. Trust me. You will love the story.

Ok'lah, that's all. For those who have read The Picture Of Dorian Gray, please feel free to share your opinions and comments with me. Thank you for reading.

XoXo,

Fadima Mooneira ^_^

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