The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

''The picture of Dorian Gray'' by Oscar Wilde.

• I am fond of reading. I have read a great number of books in my life. But best of all I like the one I have read recently. It's ''The picture of Dorian Gray'' by Oscar Wilde.

• When the book appeared in 1891 the comments in the press described it as a dangerously immoral and poisonous book. But Oscar Wild was of another opinion, ''There isn't such things as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That's all'', said Oscar Wilde.

• The book is very far from our life and at the same time very close to it. To tell the truth I am impressed by Oscar Wilde's deep insight into the problem of human nature and soul. One can easily see that there is too much of Oscar Wilde himself in his book which shows both his strength and his weakness as a writer.

• It is a story of a young aristocrat Dorian Gray, a man of exceptional beauty who once uttered a wish to remain always young and beautiful while his portrait perfectly painted by his friend Basil Hallward would grow old change instead of him.

• This wish was fulfilled. It was Lord Henry a witty and cynical aristocrat who revealed Dorian his beauty. • He once told Dorian, ''Now wherever you go you charm the world. Will it always be so? You have a wonderfully beautiful face, Mr. Gray. Don't frown you have. ”

• The most romantic part in the book is Dorian Grays love for Sibyl Vane, a young actress who was fascinated by Dorian Gray's beauty but later became the victim of his indifference and cruel nature. • One day after the play at theatre Dorian Gray fell out of love. It was more than she could bear and she committed a suicide.

• This happened because Dorian Gray was under the influence of Lord Henry who always advised him to enjoy his life and not to care about such things as love, friendship, as he used to say. • ''Women are decorative sex. They say nothing but they say it charmingly. ”

• Though his beauty remained fresh and unspoilt his soul was rotten to the core. His cruelty towards Sibyl Vane changed the expression on the face of the portrait and it grew older and older each time he acted against his conscience.

The picture was the mirror of his soul and Dorian Gray blamed Basil Hallward who had painted the portrait that ruined his life. He couldn't forgive him that. He killed Basil Hallward. Though later he tried to assure himself that ''the murder had been simply the madness of a moment. ''

• It wasn't Basils death that weighed upon his mind. It was the living death of his soul. He stabbed the painter's work with the same knife he had killed Basil. So that to kill the past and to live in peace. But it is impossible to kill one's soul without killing oneself.

• The next morning the servant found the splendid portrait in all its youth and beauty while the face of Dorian gray who was lying dead on the floor was all covered with wrinkles.

This comes to prove once again that as the author says ''the flower blossoms again but we never get back our youth. ''

I think that the most important thing is the beauty of one's soul and not only that of the body and it is the harmony of both that is valued above all.

Thanks for watching • The presentation is made by Lilit Gevorgyan.