The Picture of Dorian Gray

I was standing in the kitchen today when something hit me. Oscar Wilde's works are in the public domain! That meant that I could get them for free on Kindle.... I quickly picked out 3 books of his (The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Selected Poems of Oscar Wilde.)
I've just begun reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. My oh my. I suspect that Oscar Wilde had a rather privileged and quite possibly incestuous relationship with Prose of the Utmost Purple. Seriously. His writing is so lovely it's almost sickening. It inundates one's mind like a slow and addictive poison, turning the reader into an extremely docile and enchanted zombie.
The most amazing thing about this book thus far is it's absolute ballsiness. In the first few pages, a character smokes opium, bishops are said to not think, and there is a mention of more then one god. Perhaps even more impressively, one of the characters (Basil) speaks of his male friend in such adoration that I wonder how Oscar Wilde was ever able to publish it in his lifetime. Here's a little quote for you...

"Harry," said Basil Hallward, looking him straight in the face, "every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture [of Dorian] is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul."

If this quote is a bit too subtle for you, then take a look at a previous quote.

"Yes, that is his [Dorian's] name. I didn't intend to tell it to you."
"But why not?"
"Oh, I can't explain. When I like people immensely, I never tell their names to anyone. It is like surrendering a part of them."

It's no wonder the poor man was condemned for being gay. Pure love between two men? That simply wouldn't stand in their crippled society!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! I was writing book review poorly attempting to mirror the writing style of a fantastic author! Right, right.
Not only is this book quite sufficient in the balliness department, it is a treat to read. Not only is it fantastically written, it also happens to be a surprisingly easy read! I will post more about it if the mood takes me.

Until next time, by brothers! Health and godspeed.*





*What is godspeed, you may well ask? Good question! I would answer it myself, but I think that Eddie Izzard describes it succinctly enough.
[WARNING! Contains the F-Bomb! Dun dun duuuun....]
Eddie Izzard: Goodspeed