Comments on: The Picture of Dorian Gray: A book review

By: Magister Ludi

Magister Ludi — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:31:24 +0000

A bit over simplification of a vastly complex and sophisticated novel. The theme of beauty is perhaps a subtext compared to one of the major themes of the novel that was untouched in the review is the passage of time and the moral corruption of the upper classes.

By: P.R.Koduri

P.R.Koduri — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:41:03 +0000

Enjoyed immensely the write-up. Great review and the writer has taken on some of the gloss of the subject herself!

By: nasser yousaf

nasser yousaf — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:40:55 +0000

Great, Mehar. Hope to read more such reviews. Bring the poor old Jude out of his obscurity in your next assignment.

By: theeppendorf

theeppendorf — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 01:45:21 +0000

Reblogged this on theeppendorf.

By: imran

imran — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:10:00 +0000

This is a novel for the age’s. I think i have read this novel atleast a dozen times since i first read it all those years ago. I especially like the dialogue of Lord Henry. What masterful writing indeed. Oscar Wilde is by far one the best literary minds there ever was.

By: Adnan

Adnan — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 18:14:51 +0000

That’s one of the best books reviews I have seen in a Pakistani publication in a long long time.

By: Kirtimaya Varma

Kirtimaya Varma — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:46:04 +0000

Superbly written on a wonderful novel. I wish I could meet this writer..

Kirtimaya Varma
Haridwar
Uttarakhand

By: Jehanzeb Idrees

Jehanzeb Idrees — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 11:36:49 +0000

Very well written indeed! Of course a classic in English literature and remained a personal favourite for quite some time now. The plot that so masterfully conceived by Oscar Wilde and Dorian’s toying with pleasure was quite often attributed to his own alleged sexual orientation as he related himself to his character. However I found your analogy with the Sufi line of thought, interesting yet misplaced.

While the subtleties of morality and immorality has become quite vague in the past 120 years, the ‘devotion to desire’ lies more in obscurantism than mysticism. Yet the distinguishing views of this metaphysical character, that may be said somewhat loosely to be physical rather than spiritualistic.

By: atif

atif — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 04:50:24 +0000

Good to read a review of ‘The Picture…’ here. I think you have much more to say about this novel than, perhaps, the space allowed. The grotesqueness of the painting, not discussed here, was not just the result of what the author alludes to as a ‘religious’ kind of immorality. The decadence of Dorian Gray was much more base and inhuman than that. It is easy to overlook the nature of Dorian’s cruelty, and deception laced in Wilde’s flowery prose and tend to give a pretty interpretation to Basil’s murder. The worship of beauty, idolization, and a quest for sensuality may find parallels in the Sufi way, but not in the sense of Dorian’s not-so-selfless behavior.
I don’t believe the end was contradictory to the themes of the novel – saying that those who suffered or died were punished for a single common act of ‘worship of beauty’ would be over-simplifying a complicated work of art. Who’s to say that Basil, Cybil, Alan or Adrian didn’t acknowledge the power of beauty. The difference between Henry and Dorian came down to Dorian’s crime-infested life that Henry would consider ‘vulgar’.

By: Mohammed Baluch

Mohammed Baluch — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 19:59:16 +0000

Mehar’s book review on Dorian Gray and the underlying theme of beauty and the power that it can wield is a recurrent theme in history – of course, immortalized by Oscar Wilde. Interestingly, amongst conservative societies, there is an “anti-beauty” movement – and an almost deliberate attempt to veil all that is beautiful to the eyes. Whilst for others, there is beauty in every detail of life – living in such an environment is the ultimate in “hobo chic”.