Jon's Reviews > The Picture of Dorian Gray

Cutting commentary on morals and 19th Century class system, hypocracy and society by a man infamous for his own fall from grace

What i liked about it
Wildes Acerbic Wit - theres so many lines you would have heard before - "Theres only one thing worse than being talked about and that not being talked about" for example. Hes at his best commenting on social situations and society in general. Theres some great cameo characterisation, Great Ladies and eccentric Duchesses. Plenty to make you smile and admire Wildes brilliance. I really had no idea of the plot before reading amazingly enough - quite an interesting concept. I really wasnt prepared for the Macabre Gothing Horror story it turned into - that took me by surprise a bit, it made a nice change from dinner party conversation after dinner party conversation.

What I didnt like
Wildes Acerbic Wit - you can have too much of a good thing. You can only take so much of Lord Henryisms page after page, no matter how witty. The prose is overly descriptive, nice at times, but does he have to describe in infitate detail every single piece of luxurious furnishings. Overkill. Almost without exception all the main characters are thoroughly dislikable - wicked and horridly snobbish, whether it was satire or not i dont know but they didnt give a hoot for anything that happened to anyone not of their rank.