The Picture of Dorian Grey

Half way through the book, with the death of Sybil Vane, I realized I continued to read for morbid reasons. I skipped to the afterword. I got some insight from a more modern psychological view than a philosophical view and was now bored. Yet, something has me picking it up and reading bits more. I doubt I'll read every word once it is reshelved. Maybe because later many people took these themes and ideas and utilized them elsewhere, but the dark and negative have overall bored me. I started to read the copy I already owned because of Penny Dreadful, but a TV show can keep things moving and has multiple story lines to consider. (Even though, there the darkness can be heavy too.) For this book, I get the idea.

I still give this book four stars out of it being of very good writing and ideas. I underlined much of Lord Henry's philosophical ideas in the beginning. They are part of the great questions we must explore in ourself. I definitely can see why this is a classic.