The Picture of Dorian Grey

This disturbing gothic novel follows the story of an excessively good-looking young man, the titular Dorian Grey, in British high society. He effortlessly captivates and charms, to the point a painter becomes obsessed with him and painting him. He gives the painting to Dorian, who then sees the portrait change and grow uglier with time the uglier the sins he commits in real life, while his actual body remains youthful and unchanged.

It took me a while to get into this book, possibly due more to life circumstance than the writing itself; that being said, I don't think the writing was immersive or particularly captivating. This novel is a vessel for metaphors, threaded with plenty of (too many?) Oscar Wilde-isms — which, personally, I think are better suited to plays.

I haven't quite dissed out what the book says about art, but personally I think the bulk of critics (she says, having read very few pieces of analysis) have gotten carried away with analysis of the book from a moral standpoint (as in, Dorian never really having to repent for his deeds, or some condoning of hedonism, or of unabashed vanity). But I think the book says a lot more about art: perhaps art as being more reflective of the soul, and of human nature, and of the artist, than life itself. Or something like that.