The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories

I started The Picture of Dorian Gray over a year ago. After nearly 100 pages I grew bored and shelved it. Since then it has been taunting me on Goodreads. How could a book so small be so hard to read? Was it bad? No, but like most classics you just need to be in the right mood to read it. The language is usually older, thus taking more concentration to read.

This past week I switched to an audiobook version. I'm glad I did. It was much easier to understand. Instead of tripping up over word pronunciations, I let the author's narration guide me through the unknown words. I actually really enjoyed this narration and found the voice to fit the character of Dorian. Slightly hoity, yet elegant. Bravo to the narrator for doing such an excellent portrayal.

Overall I enjoyed the story. It is at times slow, but carries a deeper message. Looks are one thing, but one's actions carry a deeper weight. I'm glad I finally finished it.

I really didn't know what to expect coming into this work. Pretty impressed by Wilde's artful prose and eloquent style. I became enthralled by Dorian Gray's utter spiral into madness and vanity and a mysterious painting. I did think Henry Wotton's tirades were a bit hard to follow and understand but other than that, I really liked this book.