What would you do to look youthful until the day you die? To NEVER age … to always be popular and beloved. Dorian Gray paid the ultimate price in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, he gave up his soul to be young until the day he died. But with every sin and every time he hurts someone, the portrait his friend Basil Hallaward painted for him grows old and evil.

Oscar Wilde wrote and published his only novel in 1891, The Picture of Dorian Gray. It is a reflection of no matter what you do to avoid all of the crimes you have committed, they will always come back to haunt you. Ever since Dorian said in a rage of jealousy,  “How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. It will never be older than this particular day of June… If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that- for that- I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!”

The artist, Basil, gives Dorian the painting and he slowly finds out that his cries to the heavens came true. When he breaks the heart of Sybil Vane and she kills herself, he notices the painting slowly changes. When Lord Henry gives Dorian a book about a Parisian man who dwells in sin, he takes it as his bible. Throughout his journey in this book, he delves into as much mortal pleasure as possible. From the murder of his friend Basil, to influencing others to hurt people… the painting turns more horrid. With the painting awaiting him in the attic, the reflection of his soul. It is only covered in a shroud and it eventually drives him mad.

*SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!*

He goes to the painting in the attic and stabs it… and it is unharmed. The servants hear him scream out in pain and they go to investigate the cry. They find him lifeless on the ground unrecognizable and ugly. The painting is in a state of beauty from long ago.

Why did I write an article about this story? Because it is one of the great underrated classic tales of terror written by the infamous playwright Oscar Wilde. It is a great read, especially if you are looking for a twisted story to curl up with on a gloomy day. I especially love the part when Henry is explaining to Dorian towards the end that he shouldn’t blame a book for his poor decision making and decent into sin. “As for being poisoned by a book, there is no such thing as that. Art has no influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is Superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. That is all.” 

On a final note…this story has been adapted into many movies including the 1945 MGM feature starring George Sander, Hurd Hatfield  , Donna Reed and Angela Lansbury. Of course like many book to screen adaptations they cannot fit everything into the movies. And if you wish to see a film adaptation I recommend either the film to the left or the 2009 adaptation starring Colin Firth and Ben Barnes.

Thank you for taking a glance at The Picture of Dorian Gray  with me and I hope when you read it and enjoy it as much as I did. For those of you who have read it… what are your favorite quotes? Hope you have a wonderfully spooky day and see YOU in the Dark!

-Mary Imagination