The Picture Of Dorian Gray (1890) By Oscar Wilde

"He is all my art to me now."

Oscar Wilde's acclaimed and rather revered gothic fiction is one of elegance, duality and mystery. It combines prophetic, dreamy dialogue with tantalising trains of thought and magnificently gratuitous prose. It is a feast of classical literature; a treat to one's eyes and mind.

"I find him in the curves of certain lines, in the loveliness and subtleties of certain colours."

Wilde has an elegance in his dictation, which, while typical of the classics, is no less delectable and exquisite. The eloquence with which he composes his dialogue gives his characters a poetical, philosophical and often cheeky nature, which makes for some fascinating reading.

"When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."

Classics have a tendancy to prolong and delay their climaxes until one wishes it would just end, but Wilde sweeps through his narrative with effective grace and momentum, so that there is only really one, maybe two, chapters, with which the story's pace and direction falters.

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame."

Wilde develops a keen and intriguing sense of mystery in the story, through both the events of the plot and the conjectures and musings of his characters. The reader is absorbed into a world of privilege, vanity and class, which informs and underlines the character's decisions and mentalities.

"You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit."

The author's flair for the dramatic was evident from the very first chapter, as his creations throw themselves onto luxurious furniture and speak as the intellectuals of old. The implicit homosexuality is deliciously smug and enticing; it lures one in with hints and implications and charming descriptions.

"Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic."

Wilde toys with themes of fate, karma, love, corruption, vanity and more to build conflict, drive plot and create a rather enthralling piece of literature. By the time the last pages turn, there has been a cacophony of dramas to satiate even the most melodramatic of readers.

"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."

It is a book that bleeds intellect; it toys with knowledge and philosophy, and mixes it in with a memorable, theatrical and almost Shakespearean level of histrionics and mystery that makes for a fantastically satisfying novel. It is truly marvellous.

"Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different."