This is a classic I have been wanting to read for a while. It is an intense look into a beautiful young man’s life. When a portrait is painted of Dorian Gray depicting his outer beauty and gifted to him, it changes his life in ways he, and his readers, would never imagine possible.
This dark gothic novel with a supernatural twist starts out light and happy, then weaves its sinister threads throughout. By the time you reach the end, the story turns dark and menacing, just like the soul of Dorian Gray.
It is an unsettling read in many ways but a good example of the saying “Beauty is only skin deep.” Dorian’s soul turns dark and evil as a trade-off for his obsession with maintaining his youth and beauty. When I look back at photos of myself during my early 20s, I sometimes long to look that way again. But then I remember who I’ve become and what I have learned over the years, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I would definitely recommend reading it as an example of literature for the time period (set in the late 19th century) and for all your dark gothic desires!