The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Clothbound Classics) Hardcover – October 27, 2009

Undoubtedly the best novel written by Oscar Wilde... Storyline is quite attractive, and you will find many profound comments concerning such as love, art, life,etc.Readers should keep in mind that Lord Henry (intimate friend of Dorian Gray ) is the 'shadow main character' of this story.

娘がロンドンの高校で英国ビクトリア時代の代表的小説を読むクラスを取っていた時に読んだ1冊がこの作品。名作として知られているし、親として、娘が学校でどんな本を読んでいるのか興味を持ち、手にしてみた。大変な美文調。そして、ものすごく劇的な展開。100年以上前に書かれた作品なのに、今もなお人の心に訴えるところがあるのは、人間の心理を突いた主題だからだろうか。作品の中に流れる貴族社会の香りとデカダンスには、勿論違和感を感じるが、ロンドンに住んでいる自分にとって、19世紀終わり頃のイギリス社会を彷彿させるので、とても興味深い。この作品の中に出てくるロンドンの通りの名前やクラブ、公園も今も残っている。イギリス社会の伝統と奥深さを垣間見たような気がする。しかし、正直、英語は難解だった。とても思索的、抽象的な文章が多く、自分がその意味を十分掴めたか疑問がある。もっと理解が進んでいたら、星５つの評価なのかも知れない。

I can listen to this forever and ever and ever.

At first Dorian does not realize his wishes been granted. He falls in love with a beautiful young actress who is every woman that Shakespeare ever wrote about. But once again due to Lord Henry's influence, he realizes that she's just a common girl.Starting with absent-minded acts Dorian slowly sinks into debauchery. And with every new act his picture becomes more grotesque while Dorian stays is young and as innocent looking as the day his picture was painted.What will become of Dorian?What will become of Dorian's painting?What would you do if you were Dorian?Oscar Wilde paints a picture himself as he describes Dorian Gray's dilemma. And we as readers travel with Dorian as each decision is made. In some places in the story Oscar Wilde seems to drag on and on with detail; however we find that this detail is necessary to set the next scene.Oscar Wilde himself led a risky life that lead to a jail sentence; is attitudes can be seen in the dialogues in this book.