"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

Reading this book was part of a promise I made to myself to read more classics. In fact I set a very manageable goal: to read three classic novels in 2014. Well, 9 months into the year, I realized I had read none, so I decided to pick up "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. I did not know anything about the plot going into this book. But I love Wilde. I adore his plays, he is always witty and his characters make me laugh out loud. Well, this book is a lot darker than his plays. As a lot of classical fiction, this novel explores human nature and deals with the subject of good and evil. What is the most valuable thing in life? Can one indulge in sin without consequences to their character? Is it possible to silence one's conscience? Is goodness utterly boring and only sin can bring joy? And ultimately, is a sinner capable of remorse and worthy of redemption? All are timeless questions and examined by a true master and an expert in human nature. Wilde shrewdly discerns character flaws and brings them to the surface. I really enjoyed the creativity of the plot and Wilde's witty writing. The only reason I did not give this book a five-star rating is because in a few places the narrative did drag for me. Perhaps the readers in Wilde's time had a longer attention spans and had more tolerance for lengthy descriptions. Other than that, it is an amazing excellent novel, and I highly recommend it. It is also very manageable in size - just over 200 pages.