I enjoyed it as I do many books from another century: by reading and listening at the same time. I am also already a fan of Oscar Wilde plays so I was predisposed to like it
It’s absolutely worth reading. Horrifying , insightful, and witty all at the same time. If you can find it, get the annotated version—passages of the book were censored when it was published, and the annotated has great commentary.
Oscar Wilde is a favorite. A tragic figure who wrote so beautifully. Dorian Gray is perfect for Halloween and The Importance of being Ernest charms my heart and funny bone every time.
It is probably on the list of ‘Classics’ somewhere. I only read it it the past couple of years and I enjoyed it. I believe the theme has a ‘moral’ in there somewhere too, plus nowadays we seem to all want to look gorgeous and be young looking forever. I’ve missed the boat there myself.????
Listened to the audio. I had a hard time sticking with it because NONE of the characters are likable, no real protagonist to root for. But the writing is brilliant, and the point of the story is well made.
Actually I read it many years ago, as a teen and liked it. I decided to reread it recently and was amazed at how much of the story went right over my head the first time around. Was it worth it? Yes!
The movie is horrible, but the book is fantastic. It’s a great book to do with a book club as there are a lot of great discussion points. I missed not having anyone to discuss this novel with.
Yup, sweet and short with great content. It’s even better when you read the Shakespearean sonnets that he wrote to a another man. Wilde was inspired greatly by Shakespeare. A great gothic novel with some interesting themes of sexuality, morality, and hedonism.
I had always meant to read it one day, and I”m glad it made it to othe list, and I read it. I”d say worth it-pretty good. I’m nearly through the list, though I didn’t finish them all.
I too find some of the GREAT classics rather slow. Hopefully, it will grab my interest. I think that I am going to also get the audible edition. Thank you for your input, though!
Very much recommend the uncensored edition annotated by Nicholas Frankel. It has many useful notes and images so that you can understand all of the dated references in context. Also, it’s the shorter (13 chapter) version that is much trimmer and more salacious.
Again, THANK YOU ALL for you input. Love a good book and now I know this one will be worth it. Sometimes, the major classics are indeed great reads, but not necessarily fun reads. It gets the majority yes, but I did notice a few no’s and I appreciate that input as well!
i think it does not matter if a book is good or not, the fact that people are reading is great. i did not like catcher in the rye, i did not finish it, i found it extremely boring. gar very good. keep reading everyone????
Douglas Freeman thank you. I thought that might be the case except I didn’t remember Oscar Wilde writing it. I last read it, i think, in 8 th grade and I’m now 65.
I started it a few years ago and gave up. I had seen the old movie. My problem is I can’t read a book after seeing the movie. However I can read the book 1st then watch the movie. Strange I know…
Yes by all means. Books do not become classics because they are not exceptional reads. Sometimes especially older books it takes a number of pages to get used to the rhythm of the writer and the language they are using. No matter which classic stick with it they are all rewarding beyond anything you can imagine.
Well, some of the classics I have wondered about who exactly found it exceptional. I only managed to get through 118 pages of Great Expectations before giving up. Just awful and I had eagerly anticipated loving it based on all the recommendations.
@Clayton If I had read even one more page I would have had to throw the book across the room. An action I would have regretted as it was a library copy. I have, however, read and enjoyed others of Dickens’ works.
Rebekah Fairlight he can be hard to read. Had to read Great Expectation in high school. The one I couldn’t get thru was The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby
@Sharon Dickens because of the time he wrote is hard to read especially for high school kids. I remember having to read Chaucer and how hard it was. I had to read it out loud and hear the words before I could understand what was going on. My parents thought I was taking a foreign language at first.
I had to read Great Expectations in high school, and I hated it. I have since read multiple other works by Dickens and enjoyed them. I have never understood why Great Expectations is the one they pick for required reading.
I bought the audible version as well. I drive around all day for my job and after someone had mentioned the audible version, I thought what a grand idea!
Oscar led a tortured life. Although his first visit to America brought him face to face with a customs agent who asked him do you have anything to declare? Oscar answered “only my genius”
I have read a few of the mysteries starring Oscar Wilde but haven’t read anything he wrote. After reading these comments I am looking forward to reading his work.
I have been trying to get through that book for years for some reason it drags and drags on and on for me I love the concept of the book but it’s so hard to push through the barrier where it gets good I don’t know if it even gets good ???
Again, thank you all for your comments. I will let you know. I ordered it both in the annotated edition as well as in the audible. We shall see if I am stoked or bored. Thanks again!
Worth reading, but not Wilde’s best. The Canterville Ghost is better, and his plays are second to none. And his fairy stories are gems of 19th century literature.
Oscar Wilde was a good writer and I am sad to think of the way in which he was treated just because he was gay. I took this book more as a kind of gothic horror story.
I enjoyed this. If you realize the painting is an allegory for the soul. It is corrupted even if there is no other visible damage. Eventually, it becomes grotesque.
Always a good read; for just plain good reading entertainment, or desiring to take an allegorical excursion into the possible dimensions of the soul of a human (though one tale of a man, (Dorian, women are not necessarily immune ?).
This has been on my tbr list FOREVER!
Yes it’s amazing !!!
Yes!!
I enjoyed it as I do many books from another century: by reading and listening at the same time.
I am also already a fan of Oscar Wilde plays so I was predisposed to like it
Yes. Oscar Wilde is great. Beware the yellow book it teaches bad moral philosophy!
Absolutely.
Yes!
Yes and watch the old movie 1945 movie after!
Yes – and afterwards you will see certain people and think, “They must have a portrait in the attic’”
yeah that books still really fun. Witty in a way that feels before its time
Yes. It’s a wonderful book. Anything by Oscar Wilde is worth reading.
Absolutely
Absolutely!
I never read the book, but the film is maybe the best horror film of all time.
Absolutely!
I thought it was a wonderful book. It is on my all time favorite top ten books.
Indeed it is. I am always fascinated by how extremely MORAL the famously IMmoral Oscar Wilde is revealed to be!
It’s a good October read (beware vanity; be careful what you ask for; beauty is only skin deep)….
Excellent book.
It is an excellent read.
Yes, if you like that genre it’s one of the best
My favorite book. I have read it countless times. His humor and insights are timeless. Highly recommend.
Wasn’t a fan.
Once you get used to the language it’s s good read!
Absolutely! Well, at least I loved it.
Not a fan, didn’t finish it. Just not my type of book
Not my favorite
It’s a short quick read and worth the time–especially if you are reading classics.
Yes. It’s not even very long
Definitely.
Don’t waste your time.
My fav book
I thought so!
Yes, very worth the read
My partner is reading it and is not impressed.
I loved it
Yes!
It’s absolutely worth reading. Horrifying , insightful, and witty all at the same time. If you can find it, get the annotated version—passages of the book were censored when it was published, and the annotated has great commentary.
I really liked it. It’s very dark.
Yes
Yes!
Yes
What is the overall message?
Yes. Very good.
yes
Oh Lord yes! One of my favorites!
Yes!
Oscar Wilde is a favorite. A tragic figure who wrote so beautifully. Dorian Gray is perfect for Halloween and The Importance of being Ernest charms my heart and funny bone every time.
Indeed
I just started the audiobook by Stephen Fry this morning. I read the hard copy ages ago but can’t wait to rediscover it! 10/10 would recommend
Yes
Read also get movie with Hurd Hatfield yes very dark.
Good book
Oh yes.
Yes
Absolutely
Super creepy!
Reading right now. Read in high school and did not enjoy. Now I’m enjoying
Yes
Oh yeah.
Yes! Especially in these times!
I tried it once and couldn’t get into it, but I gave it a second shot and I’m SO glad I did. I LOVED it!!
Convinced!
I have read it multiple times, loved it every time.
Yes
I read it a long time ago but I found it to be a good read.
Loved it
It is probably on the list of ‘Classics’ somewhere. I only read it it the past couple of years and I enjoyed it. I believe the theme has a ‘moral’ in there somewhere too, plus nowadays we seem to all want to look gorgeous and be young looking forever. I’ve missed the boat there myself.????
Yesssss absolutely ?
I enjoyed it.
Yes
Oh, yes. A definite must.
absolute must.
Listened to the audio. I had a hard time sticking with it because NONE of the characters are likable, no real protagonist to root for. But the writing is brilliant, and the point of the story is well made.
I read it but agree with your assessment. I don’t really think I truly, truly enjoyed it because of the characters but well written.
Yes!
Absolutely! Read it a couple of months ago.
It is worth the read. It didn’t take long to read, maybe a few hours, but a good overall story about vanity.
Yes.
Vanity…a seven deadly sin at its best!
I tried…great story…too pompous.
Yes!
Good!
Actually I read it many years ago, as a teen and liked it. I decided to reread it recently and was amazed at how much of the story went right over my head the first time around. Was it worth it? Yes!
I just recently tried to watch the old movie of it on tv and could not get into it. And I love the old movies.
I am reading it now. It is not a favorite, but I will get through it.
Yes. It is worth reading. Not what I was expecting when I read it. I might read it again since it has been so long ago.
Yes!
Yes. Good book.
Yes
YES!
Didn’t like it
The movie is horrible, but the book is fantastic. It’s a great book to do with a book club as there are a lot of great discussion points. I missed not having anyone to discuss this novel with.
Absolutely worth it!
Oh, yeah..
Yes. It’s a favorite of mine
Read it years ago. Yes I think it still would be!
a classic, in the 100 best reads grouping…
well it made the top 100 book list. that counts for something as a recommendation
It was okay
Absolutely. It’s my beauty secret.
It is .
It’s one I’m still trying to figure out.
Yes. Chilling book, actually. Short and engrossing.
I did not care for it.
I read it in high school, plan to read it again.
It is fascinating and very well written as are most of the classics.
Sure is!
yes <3 now more than ever
Yes
Yes! But it is slow in the beginning.
Yes
I’ve never read it but my late husband loved it.
Yep
Yes
Fabulous
Yes
Loved it!
Yes
Yes
Yes. I loved it 30+ years ago and I’m thinking about reading it again. I rarely do that
yes
I did not like it much. :/
During the time it was written, it was considered very racy, by today’s standards, not so much. But yes, it is worth the read.
Totally worth the read.
I liked it, and it isn’t that long.
Yes
Good book!
Yes, it is.
And you can download it for free.
In this age of selfies, narcissism, and the Kardashians, this book is more relevant than ever.
@Christine Also Fitzgerald’s careless rich and Gatsby himself give us much to consider about contemporary society.
Yes! Especially today!
Absolutely!
Yes. Just finished it.
Yup, sweet and short with great content. It’s even better when you read the Shakespearean sonnets that he wrote to a another man. Wilde was inspired greatly by Shakespeare. A great gothic novel with some interesting themes of sexuality, morality, and hedonism.
Yes! Absolutely.
I’ve never finished it! 1813 Frankenstein yes 2x.
Yes!!
Definitely.
Loved it, worth the read
I’m just in the middle of it. It’s a bit hard for me right now, but I think I’m just not in the right mood. I do love Oscar Wilde in general though
Yes.
Yes!
Absolutely that is one of my favorite books I have read it twice
Yes
Absolutely!!
Yes.
Yes and yes.
Everything by Oscar Wilde is worth reading.
OMG YES!!
Yes!
By all means.
Yes!!
Yes
Yes
Yes! But I also kept waiting for the book to go into details of what exactly he did.
Absolutely!!!
Definitely
Absolutely!
Those of you who did not finish it or understand it, watch the movie, it’s almost as good. ? ?
Yes! I’m reading it now and am really enjoying it!
Listen to Stephen Fry read it via Audible. Terrific narration.
Stephen Fry – maybe I will try that also! Travel a great deal, like 4-5 hours every day!
No
Yes
I love it. Very good and quick read
Yes
One of my favorites.
Yes.
yes
I had always meant to read it one day, and I”m glad it made it to othe list, and I read it. I”d say worth it-pretty good. I’m nearly through the list, though I didn’t finish them all.
how to I find a copy o f the list?
Yes!
I loved this book.
Great read.
uh ooh
I too find some of the GREAT classics rather slow. Hopefully, it will grab my interest. I think that I am going to also get the audible edition. Thank you for your input, though!
I fully agree that some of the classics are slow sometimes. I really had to power though Dorian Gray…. Good Luck! I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
Oh yes.
Absolutely. One of my favorite classics.
YUP
Oh yeah!!
Anything by Oscar Wilde is worth reading. This book especially (along with his plays).
At least once! ?
No
Yes
Yes
Absolutely! It’s “stay up all night” good!
Definitely Yes!
Yes!
Everything he wrote is worth reading!
I loved the movie
Yes!
Absolutely
Yes
Absolutely
Yes
Yes.
Yes, it’s brilliant!
Oh most definitely!!
What ISN’T? But, I enjoyed the story, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s a morality tale, not really a horror story.
Yes
Yes, I had to take the end in for a minute. ?
Definitely
Yes, much better than any film version ever made of it.
Yes
??
Yes
Yes
Yes!!
Very much recommend the uncensored edition annotated by Nicholas Frankel. It has many useful notes and images so that you can understand all of the dated references in context. Also, it’s the shorter (13 chapter) version that is much trimmer and more salacious.
OK – next purchase!
Thank you all very much!
Why Yes…..
Again, THANK YOU ALL for you input. Love a good book and now I know this one will be worth it. Sometimes, the major classics are indeed great reads, but not necessarily fun reads. It gets the majority yes, but I did notice a few no’s and I appreciate that input as well!
Loved this book and reference it often.
LOVE this book!!!!
now…I have to wait! 🙂
For sure. It’s a classic story. Brilliant concept too.
Yes
uh ooh
Yes
Yep! ?
Definitely, it’s an interesting portrait of human nature
Of course!
Yes.
Yes
Excellent read.
Yes❤️
Yes, good read
I couldn’t get into it – I tried 3 times.
It’s a classic..
Absolutely! One of my favorites!
Absolutely
I struggled with this one.
Yes!!!! Read it in nearly one sitting. Loved it.
Totally worth the read
Yes! Read it!
Reading it now. I say yes.
YES!
It’s fantastic!
Absolutely!
Yes. Absolutely!
Yes.
Sure.
Absolutely
Yes, it is a very good read.
yes
yes
Yes, it’s a great book!
Yes! It’s a great story.
I loved the movie as a kid…scary, but very wise!
It’s pretty introvert look about so many things, I read as a tin and I have pretty scared of aging but definitely recommend to try
YES
Oh, yeah!
If you don’t know she ending already it will blow your mind… the writing is very dated, but still a great read.
Yes
Boring.
Oh yes!!!!
Yes
I think it’s worth reading just for the writing. His writing is beautiful with words chosen with such care!
Absolutely! Great book!
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yes
Wonderful
i think it does not matter if a book is good or not, the fact that people are reading is great. i did not like catcher in the rye, i did not finish it, i found it extremely boring. gar very good. keep reading everyone????
And which book by Oscar Wilde are you all talking about? Have lost the thread of the conversation.
Sharon Yoder, The Portrait of Dorian Gray
Douglas Freeman thank you. I thought that might be the case except I didn’t remember Oscar Wilde writing it. I last read it, i think, in 8 th grade and I’m now 65.
Yes, Dorian Grey is Wilde’s work. I did a thesis on it to get into college.
Oh, yes!
Yes
Yes.
Loved it
I loved it! Still do.
Beautifully written with a theme that endures.
Yes
Its been 30 years, but I do remember liking it! Its not that long..
I started it a few years ago and gave up. I had seen the old movie. My problem is I can’t read a book after seeing the movie. However I can read the book 1st then watch the movie. Strange I know…
Oh yeah, yes indeed! As well as “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Robert Louis Stevenson (if you haven’t read it)
Oh, yes!!! A great read that will stay with you!!!
Solid read…if you are close to Chicago – go see the painting at the Art Museum too!
Yes by all means. Books do not become classics because they are not exceptional reads. Sometimes especially older books it takes a number of pages to get used to the rhythm of the writer and the language they are using. No matter which classic stick with it they are all rewarding beyond anything you can imagine.
Well, some of the classics I have wondered about who exactly found it exceptional. I only managed to get through 118 pages of Great Expectations before giving up. Just awful and I had eagerly anticipated loving it based on all the recommendations.
@Rebekah You barely got started in Dickens book.
@Clayton If I had read even one more page I would have had to throw the book across the room. An action I would have regretted as it was a library copy. I have, however, read and enjoyed others of Dickens’ works.
Rebekah Fairlight he can be hard to read. Had to read Great Expectation in high school. The one I couldn’t get thru was The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby
@Sharon Dickens because of the time he wrote is hard to read especially for high school kids. I remember having to read Chaucer and how hard it was. I had to read it out loud and hear the words before I could understand what was going on. My parents thought I was taking a foreign language at first.
Clayton Dean Brannon no I like most Dickens books. Nichols Nickelby was very dry and boring
I had to read Great Expectations in high school, and I hated it. I have since read multiple other works by Dickens and enjoyed them. I have never understood why Great Expectations is the one they pick for required reading.
I loved the book.
♥️ That book – I’ve read it perhaps three times and now listening to the podcast the 2nd go round. Go for it!
No
FYI – there is a mystery series with Oscar Wilde as the main character by Gyles Brandeth (I hope I got the name right).
@Cathy you did, I just bought the kindle. Version thanks for the tip that’s just my kinda book
Yep.
Yes
Yes!
yes
YES!
Yes
I loved it
Yes
Yes
Yes
Certainly is
Yes
Definitely!!
YES!
Oh yes, unless you have your own portrait hiding in the attic
Yes.
Oh my yes indeed
Yes, there are many folks who are like him.
Yes
Yes.
Oh yes.
No. I will try it again in the future, but right now I can not recommend it.
A must, a treatise on hedonism.
And narcissism
Yes!
Yes!
Yes, yes, yes!
I highly recommend it. I have the Audible.
I bought the audible version as well. I drive around all day for my job and after someone had mentioned the audible version, I thought what a grand idea!
Yes
Yes!
Absolutely
Yes….
Definitely!
Then look at George Soros’s face and have a laugh
I’ve never read it but saw movie about 30 years ago. Good movie , need to read this.
Going for it after I finish Mobby Dick.
Absolutely!!! One of the best books that I read this year.
Yes insights into human nature
Yes. Oscar Wilde wrote with an insight into human psychology. Love him
One of my favorites!
Definitely!
It’s good!
Read anything and everything by Wilde.
Absolutely!!
That’s the book I voted for! Love it.
Yes!!
Absolutely.
YES! One of my all time favorites. Nice variation on the Faust legend.
I love Oscar Wilde, and his Letter from Reading Gaol is heartbreaking. The Importance of Being Ernest such fun, and Dorian Gray well written.
Oscar led a tortured life. Although his first visit to America brought him face to face with a customs agent who asked him do you have anything to declare? Oscar answered “only my genius”
Yes
I have read a few of the mysteries starring Oscar Wilde but haven’t read anything he wrote. After reading these comments I am looking forward to reading his work.
@Cathy me, too!
He also wrote The Complete Book of Fairy Tales
Oscar Wilde? I love fairy tales
Yes! One of my favorites.
I struggled through it. I think it was worth it to be more familiar with the famous character that is often alluded to in other works.
Yes
One of the best
It was a wonderful read!! Enjoy!
Really good. Really creepy. Good time of year to read it!
Good but I didn’t love it.
Definitely!
Most definitely. It’s not terribly long.
Loved it.
I loved The Importance of Being Earnest, but to be honest I didn’t really enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray all that much! Couldn’t finish it.
@Ruth They are different animals.
I have been trying to get through that book for years for some reason it drags and drags on and on for me I love the concept of the book but it’s so hard to push through the barrier where it gets good I don’t know if it even gets good ???
It gets dark, dangerous, and Ted Bundy could play the part in the remake.
Totally. One day an acquaintance compared a mutual friend to Dorian Gray in casual conversation…and I knew what he was talking about!
YES! Totally freaked me out
There’s old versions to watch on Youtube if you like too
I really enjoyed The picture of Dorian Gray. Great read
Absolutely!
Yes
Absolutely!
Yep
Yes!
Yes.
that guy is so adorable, just saying
Really wish that show had focused more on him. He was perfect as Dorian.
It was a pretty good movie too
I love the book, which version should I watch?
The black and white version. It’s the creepiest with the picture at the end. The more recent version is more sexual and I didn’t like it.
@Shannon there’s one out now called The Happy Prince about Oscar Wilde, it looks really good
Hadn’t heard of that one, I’ll have to check it out.
Yes
Again, thank you all for your comments. I will let you know. I ordered it both in the annotated edition as well as in the audible. We shall see if I am stoked or bored. Thanks again!
Yes
I found the annotated Alice in Wonderland fascinating!!! Another great read
Yes
@KR i have that
Yes!
Absolutely!
I had a long road trip today and listened to about half of this book. Harry – pttthhh! Great story though! Thanks again!
@Teresa same for me.
@Teresa I’m not sure why you’re post are not coming thru. You might try copying one of them and paste it in a comment box and try sending again.
@Sharon ok thanks. I will try.
mine are there the minute I post them. Teresa we are seing your posts, maybe you are just not seeing your posts.
I want to read this book simply to pay homage to Oscar Wilde. He was treated terribly by England just because he was gay.
@Sharon Yes he was treated horribly The book is quite incredible you should read it here I am recommending it really started halfway through
read Dorian Gray when i was very young. loved the creepy story.
Finished listening to The Picture of Dorian Gray, a marvelous audiobook! Thank you all!
It’s ok, but his plays and fairy stories are much better.
I read it years ago and liked it. The movie was very good. Old black and white film on a small TV.
True, the movie was in black and white, but whenever they showed the picture, like The Wizard of Oz, it was shown in color.
@Michael ??
Yes, excellent. 50 years later, I still think about it.
YES
Worth reading, but not Wilde’s best. The Canterville Ghost is better, and his plays are second to none. And his fairy stories are gems of 19th century literature.
Enjoyed Wilde’s book. Has anyone read The Last of the Mohicans?
Not only The Last of the … But the whole series. James Fenimore Cooper could be quite philosophical. I love The Deerslayer the best
Yes!! Not a real page turner but a great classic novel nevertheless.
I liked it. Not quite what I expected; quite possibly my first exposure to narcisism
Oscar Wilde was a good writer and I am sad to think of the way in which he was treated just because he was gay. I took this book more as a kind of gothic horror story.
@Sharon I really liked it. It is dark, but good. It was horrific the way he was treated
There’s an excellent biographical movie, “Wilde”, staring Stephen Fry and Jude Law.
@Susan owned a VHS copy long time ago. Sad ending. ??
@Matthew Yes indeed. Very sad. I wonder what became of his family.
@Susan
I read it because I thought I should. I am glad I did, but did not love the book.
This is one of the first novels I ever chose to read. I almost remember it verbatim. Grand tale.
@Susie I stayed up all night reading it.
@Susan it is that kind of book.
@Susie same with me. I chose this one when I was I. high school. I remember thinking how intellectual it was.
@Leslie for me it felt like the intersection of religious ideological perspective without being religion into the text.
Na,
Yes.
I just started it this past weekend! Haven’t had much time to sit with it, but am looking forward to getting into it!
I loved the beauty of the writing. The author was a master of word choice.
I enjoyed this. If you realize the painting is an allegory for the soul. It is corrupted even if there is no other visible damage. Eventually, it becomes grotesque.
I also liked it, and agree it’s dark, but good.
Always a good read; for just plain good reading entertainment, or desiring to take an allegorical excursion into the possible dimensions of the soul of a human (though one tale of a man, (Dorian, women are not necessarily immune ?).