The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Published 2003 · 354 pages · 79,599 words · about 8 hours at an average pace · Gothic fiction, philosophical novel, Victorian literature, horror

How hard is The Picture of Dorian Gray to read?

The Picture of Dorian Gray scores 68 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it quite demanding. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 62 out of 100
Wilde employs a sophisticated vocabulary, including words like 'bourdon,' 'tussore,' and 'ennui,' which, while not obscure, require a strong understanding of literary language. The dialogue between characters, particularly Lord Henry, showcases a penchant for epigrams and witty pronouncements, adding to the lexical richness. This is comparable to 2666, but with a more focused, less encyclopedic range.
Sentence structure: 68 out of 100
The novel features sentences of varying lengths, often incorporating complex clauses and sophisticated grammatical structures. Wilde uses balanced, rhythmic sentences, similar to The Great Gatsby, but with more frequent use of subordination and parenthetical asides. The characters' dialogue is often elaborate and carefully constructed, reflecting their refined and intellectual nature.
Abstraction: 70 out of 100
The novel delves into philosophical themes such as beauty, morality, and the nature of art, which are explored through the characters' dialogues and internal reflections. The narrative moves beyond simple storytelling to consider abstract concepts like the relationship between appearance and reality, and the corrupting influence of hedonism. This is similar to Brothers Karamazov, but with a greater emphasis on aesthetic and personal philosophy.
Information density: 60 out of 100
While the novel is rich in ideas and observations, it maintains a relatively clear and focused narrative. The plot progresses at a steady pace, and the characters' interactions are central to the development of the story's themes. Compared to Lolita, the text is less dense with psychological detail, but still requires close attention to the nuances of character and dialogue.
Narrative indirection: 70 out of 100
The narrative relies on implication and suggestion, particularly in the unfolding mystery of Dorian's portrait and its connection to his moral decay. Readers must infer the extent of Dorian's corruption and the nature of his relationship with Lord Henry. This requires reading between the lines, similar to Lolita, where the narrator's perspective is unreliable.
Symbolic density: 80 out of 100
The portrait serves as a central symbol, representing Dorian's soul and the consequences of his choices. Other motifs, such as the yellow book and various aesthetic objects, contribute to the novel's symbolic richness. The story operates on both a literal and allegorical level, inviting readers to interpret the deeper meanings behind the events and characters, approaching the symbolic density of To the Lighthouse.
Ironic distance: 72 out of 100
Wilde employs irony to critique Victorian society and its values, particularly through the character of Lord Henry, whose witty pronouncements often mask a deeper cynicism. The novel invites readers to question the sincerity of its characters and the moral implications of their actions. This creates a gap between what is said and what is meant, similar to Lolita, where the narrator's charm is used to mask his depravity.
Resolution withholding: 68 out of 100
While the plot reaches a definitive conclusion, the novel leaves certain questions open to interpretation, particularly regarding the ultimate fate of Dorian's soul and the true nature of his relationship with Basil and Lord Henry. The ending provides closure but also invites reflection on the themes of morality, beauty, and the consequences of one's choices. This is comparable to Lolita, where the aftermath is known but the meaning remains open.
Structural complexity: 58 out of 100
The novel follows a relatively linear narrative structure, with occasional flashbacks and shifts in perspective. The story is primarily told from a third-person perspective, but the narrative voice often adopts the tone and style of its characters, particularly Lord Henry. While not as experimental as Ulysses, the novel's structure is more complex than a straightforward chronological narrative, similar to The Great Gatsby.

How The Picture of Dorian Gray is regarded

The Picture of Dorian Gray holds a literary regard score of 86 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.

Where The Picture of Dorian Gray sits in Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism

Placed by a full reading of the text (159 passages), not from reputation. Each verdict quotes the passage that earned it. On the axis from myth to irony, The Picture of Dorian Gray scores 68 out of 100. A second mythos, irony, pulls at it with a weight of 0.3. About the map of stories.

Mode: Low Mimetic
“You told Harry exactly the same thing.” He stopped suddenly, and a gleam of light came into his eyes.
Symbol: Mythical (Archetypal)
“Each of us has heaven and hell in him, Basil,” cried Dorian with a wild gesture of despair.
Mythos: Ironic Tragedy iv (tragedy iv)
Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage.
Genre: Novel + Romance + Anatomy
For years, Dorian Gray could not free himself from the influence of this book.

Where the story of The Picture of Dorian Gray takes place

  • Late Victorian London and Selby Royal, c. 1887-1890s (1887 to 1890), the main setting

6 things that are true of The Picture of Dorian Gray, with the passage for each

  1. Dorian wishes the portrait would age instead of him; the wish is spoken in Basil's studio.

    If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that – for that – I would give everything!

  2. Sibyl Vane dies of poison the night after Dorian rejects her.

    They ultimately found her lying dead on the floor of her dressing-room. She had swallowed something by mistake

  3. Dorian stabs Basil Hallward to death in the locked schoolroom.

    He rushed at him and dug the knife into the great vein that is behind the ear, crushing the man’s head down on the table and stabbing again and again.

  4. Dorian blackmails Alan Campbell with a letter into destroying Basil's body.

    I have a letter written already. Here it is. You see the address. If you don’t help me, I must send it.

  5. James Vane is killed by accident on a shooting party at Selby Royal.

    A cry of joy broke from his lips. The man who had been shot in the thicket was James Vane.

  6. At the end, the servants find the portrait restored and Dorian a withered corpse with a knife in his heart.

    Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage.

Scenes in The Picture of Dorian Gray that Frye would name

17 sightings of Frye's terms in the text. The strongest:

Hamartia, untitled
I would give my soul for that! The Faustian wish that fixes Dorian's fate.
Anatomy, untitled
He would often spend a whole day settling and resettling in their cases the various stones that he had collected The encyclopedic catalogue of jewels, embroideries and perfumes.
Anagnorisis, untitled
An exclamation of horror broke from the painter’s lips as he saw in the dim light the hideous face on the canvas grinning at him. Basil recognizes the soul-portrait and Dorian's life.
Displacement, untitled
One would have said that there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth. It was certainly strange. The Faustian myth enters realistic London through a changed portrait.
Pathos, untitled
They ultimately found her lying dead on the floor of her dressing-room. The sacrificial death of the innocent girl.
Sparagmos, untitled
There was a stifled groan and the horrible sound of some one choking with blood. The murder of Basil in the schoolroom.

Books that share these scenes with The Picture of Dorian Gray

About the author

Oscar Wilde