The Picture of Dorian Grey

I'm trying to read more classics this year, and I decided to start here.

I really liked parts of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde built tension so well. You could feel Dorian becoming increasingly consumed. I liked the back-and-forth he would have with himself after doing something awful, trying to justify who he had become. He would cite what Sibyl and Basil "put him through," as though that justified their deaths. It was messed up and I loved it. I thought the ending was fantastic.

As far as aspects I didn't enjoy as much, sometimes it felt like parts of the book where the plot wasn't advancing rapidly were just filler. This might be intentional, to show how Dorian would try to distract himself with material indulgences. Regardless, I found these passages boring and flowery. I didn't need to hear about gemstones and tapestries in that much detail.

Wilde would also repeat certain adjectives a lot (e.g., languidly). Speaking of, beauty is very explicitly coded white. Descriptors like “ivory” and “white” are often used to signify attractiveness. I wouldn't expect different from a book published in the late 19th century, but because the text is so focused on physicality, this comes up frequently, so I thought I would note it.

Many ideas Wilde puts forth remain relevant today: Use of wealth to escape reality. Trying to make sense of and peace with discordant fragments of the self. How being admired informs not only how Dorian sees himself, but also how he sees his admirers. How vanity turns into entitlement turns into cruelty. The disparity between judgments made based on appearances and what people are going through behind closed doors.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is essentially the halo effect taken to the extreme.