The Man Who Was Forever Young

The Picture of Dorian Gray

I have looked over this book a few times before and I have surpassed it for other's. Namingly 'My Sister's Keeper' or 'The Kommandants Girl', well romantic books, ones that you get lost in and don't know why because you already know how they are going to end. Well, today on the train ride over to Newcastle I finally sat down, or rather, opened the Kindle App on my phone and stared at 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and decided 'why not?'.

"I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if one only hides it."

At first I couldn't really get into it because there was a lot of noise on the train, weird people sat behind me with funny accents. They were talking about computer and nerdy stuff so I couldn't help bending my ear for a little while. But then all of a sudden it hit me. There are SO MANY quotes in that book that I would love to show you, quotes that I didn't even realise came from 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and I'm only on Chapter 4; or 3. I forget.

"Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one"

There is this one character, Lord Henry, that I am just mesmerized by, and see it's not even Dorian. This characters intellect, charm and wit makes for wonderful reading. When he talks it's like I'm reading a sonnet from Shakespeare. I love Oscar Wilde and have decided to read more of his work once I've finished with Dorian Gray. I mean I've heard of the book before, and I know the general jist of the man who couldn't look at his own portrait because it got older and if he did then he would become as old as the portrait, and consequently die. But, right now I am basking in the glory of the newness of the book. It's obviously set in Georgian times? I think well 1800's so Georgian/Victorian times; a period I love.

"Yes; horribly unjust of you. I make a great differencevbetween people. I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies. I have not got one who is a fool."

I can't wait to get deeper into this book. It was very easy to block out the world and escape in the pages, or rather the screen of my iPhone. I'm actually quite blown away by it. So, I shall keep you posted. I don't even know what it is that I like about the book besides one of the characters and the sonnet speeches. It could be the idea that there is something between the lines, something that has yet to be spoken. I love the innocent of Dorian Gray and how Lord Henry smashes his ideals to pieces with one quick sniping sentance.

"Poets are not so scrupulous as you are. They know how useful passion is for publication. Nowadays a broken heart will run to many editions."

It truly is a must read; and like I said, I'm only on Chapter 4. I just pray that Oscar Wildes' imagination won't let me down for the rest of the book!