Yesterday, I finally got down to reading Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray".
It seemed quite tiresome at first, I had to get through the introduction and preface. When I eventually made it to the first chapter, it didn't leave any impression on me yet. It was only until I continued reading it last night in bed then I realised it's a beautiful story.
Oscar Wilde only ever published one novel, and here it is. Sure, there were plenty of (one might even say too many) adjectives that, I've discovered, causes the human mind to fix its attention elsewhere, so it's a challenge to stay focused and keep reading. It's going to be a slow read.
I haven't gotten far into the book yet, I just started Chapter 2 last night. Here's a quote from the book.
" "Tell me more about Mr. Dorian Gray. How often do you see him?"
"Every day. I couldn't be happy if I didn't see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me."
"How extraordinary! I thought you would never care for anything but your art."
"He is all my art to me now," said the painter, gravely. "I sometimes think, Harry, there are only two eras of any importance in the world's history. The first is the appearance of a new medium for art, and the second is the appearance of a new personality for art also. What the invention of oil-painting was to the Venetians, the face of Antinous was to late Greek sculpture, and the face of Dorian Gray will some day be to me. It is not merely that I paint from him, draw from him, sketch from him. Of course I have done all that. But he is much more to me than a model or a sitter. I won't tell you that I am dissatisfied with what I have done of him, or that his beauty is such that Art cannot express it. There is nothing that Art cannot express, and I know that the work I have done, since I met Dorian Gray, is good work, is the best work of my life." "
It seemed quite tiresome at first, I had to get through the introduction and preface. When I eventually made it to the first chapter, it didn't leave any impression on me yet. It was only until I continued reading it last night in bed then I realised it's a beautiful story.
Oscar Wilde only ever published one novel, and here it is. Sure, there were plenty of (one might even say too many) adjectives that, I've discovered, causes the human mind to fix its attention elsewhere, so it's a challenge to stay focused and keep reading. It's going to be a slow read.
I haven't gotten far into the book yet, I just started Chapter 2 last night. Here's a quote from the book.
" "Tell me more about Mr. Dorian Gray. How often do you see him?"
"Every day. I couldn't be happy if I didn't see him every day. He is absolutely necessary to me."
"How extraordinary! I thought you would never care for anything but your art."
"He is all my art to me now," said the painter, gravely. "I sometimes think, Harry, there are only two eras of any importance in the world's history. The first is the appearance of a new medium for art, and the second is the appearance of a new personality for art also. What the invention of oil-painting was to the Venetians, the face of Antinous was to late Greek sculpture, and the face of Dorian Gray will some day be to me. It is not merely that I paint from him, draw from him, sketch from him. Of course I have done all that. But he is much more to me than a model or a sitter. I won't tell you that I am dissatisfied with what I have done of him, or that his beauty is such that Art cannot express it. There is nothing that Art cannot express, and I know that the work I have done, since I met Dorian Gray, is good work, is the best work of my life." "
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