This book is seared into my memory. I first read it in August of 2002 and just re-read it for the second time in my life. My memory of the work from my first reading was near exact, something that almost never happens to me. It struck such a cord in my 20s that I thought about it often over the subsequent 20+ years. It is one of the most important novels I have ever read.
Dorian Gray makes a Faustian bargain to retain his youth in exchange for his soul. A painted portrait then takes on his “passions and his sins” while his body does not change. We witness him go from age 22 to 38 with no visible change in his physical appearance. This makes it difficult for people to believe the horrible rumors they year. Surely someone so good looking and youthful could not do such things.
Despite being written 130 years ago, this novel feels modern. Youth is still highly prized and now we use social media filters and botox to keep the facade alive. We are still really good at covering the degradation of our lives like Dorain covers and hides his portrait. It’s Adam & Eve all over again. An immediate desire to cover and hide when exposed by the Coldplay Cam.
This novel is a tragedy but does fate guide Dorian’s actions? Is he irreparably influenced by Lord Henry to where there’s no turning back? Or does Dorian have a choice in the matter? What if he did change course? Would the portrait change back to what it was? Or would it remain the same?
This is an endlessly fascinating novel. One with vivid pictures that have stuck with me for 23 years. It’s a novel I think about often. In this podcast episode, I talk about themes, questions, and my One Thing.