Review of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Read for: Classics & Audio Book Challenge

Synopsis: "Horror hides behind an attractive face in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's tale of a notorious Victorian libertine and his life of evil excesses. Though Dorian's hedonistic indulgences leave no blemish on his ageless features, the painted portrait imbued with his soul proves a living catalogue of corruption, revealing in its every new line and lesion the manifold sins he has committed. Desperate to hide the physical evidence of his unregenerate spirit, Dorian will stop at nothing--not even murder--to keep his picture's existence a secret.

A scandalous story when it was first published in 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray is acknowledged a landmark of literature today and a tale emblematic of its time. This volume is one of Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world's greatest authors in an exquisitely designed foil-stamped binding, with distinctive colored edging and an attract silk-ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable, and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensable cornerstone for any home library.

An incredibly handsome young man in Victorian England retains his youthful appearance over the years while his portrait reflects both his age and evil soul as he pursues a life of decadence and corruption."

My Review: I had heard a lot of people love this book and said it is a great spooky read for the Halloween season. I thought I would give it a try, and chose to alternate between audio book and print to stay in the story. I have to say, I was rather underwhelmed. I was expecting something that would give me goosebumps but it didn't even give me the slightest chill. Would it be a great book to discuss with a group? Absolutely! It definitely has a lot to say about the morality and the way we can be influenced. The result of lack of consequences for our actions was something that should be emphasized in today's world as well. It was a good book, and I wish I had the opportunity to read it while in college or high school and could have had a great discussion about it.

My Rating: I really would have enjoyed having a group to discuss this book with but as someone who is just reading for pleasure at this point, it was a bit lackluster.  The beginning was so drawn out and then the part that really could have been great was just skimmed over.  I give it a rating of Two Paws.