Kevin's Watch

I've seen The Importance of Being Ernest on stage, and it was quite amusing. Have not had much opportunity to explore other of his works, except...

The Picture of Dorian Gray - I read it while on field studies in Maine last summer. What a book! Gave me a better understanding of the era's class differences, but the dark themes running throughout were the big draw. What an opportunity it would be, to have a picture of yourself like Dorian did. Would you use it as he did, knowing the consequences?

I love Oscar Wilde's works - the two you mentioned are classics, however his poetry is a bit lacking.

Heh, the only Dorian Gray I know is from the movie "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". And no, I wouldn't have played it like that if I were him.

I love Wilde. The Picture of Dorian Gray is amazing.

Lord Mhoram wrote:I love Wilde. The Picture of Dorian Gray is amazing.

Agreed.

I've been reading a lot of Wilde over my break. I've read: "Lady Windermere's Fan," "Salome," and "A Woman of No Importance." To go between now & Tuesday: "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest."

Loremaster,

I've always thought Wilde was right up your alley as far as literature goes. Which of his plays do you like? And do you recommend any others (the five I listed are part of one volume I have)? Or his poetry?

I absolutely love the Importance of Being Earnest. It's so God-damn funny. I recommend his poetry, but it's largely 'idyllic'.

I can't wait to read it. It's the last play in the volume.

Have you read "Salome" by any chance? It's verrrry strange, totally unlike anything else he wrote. A symbolist masterpiece though, and I enjoyed it immensely.

I'm put off by Salome - given the origins of the poem/play. Perhaps one day I will read it.

My one gripe with it was - you know how Wilde's plays tend to have shorter, more terse lines? Nothing overly long, usually? He's generally known for his short & witty aphorisms, I suppose. But in "Salome" there is a lot of long, drawn-out dramatic soliloquoys. A lot of old English - "thy," and that sort of thing. Now I'm not saying it doesn't work, Shakespeare employed that kind of technique constantly obviously, but it just isn't Wildean.

Wilde is infamous for that sort of thing. I mean, he frequently indulges in the 'imagery of art'. So I suppose Salome is just that; a flourish of art. I like that about him, though. To me, he is the icon of the decadence movement.

And decadence is always good.

--A

Avatar wrote:And decadence is always good.

--A

Get out of my forum with that nonsense!

Started reading The Picture of Dorian Gray today. I'm enjoying, although I must say the most striking thing initially was how long the first sentence was. I actually re-read it a few times to make sure I was all one sentence.

What do you think about the story now?

I finished Dorian Gray yesterday. I thought it was brilliant. And I don't often think that about books written more than 80-90 years ago. The only bit I didn't enjoy was the chapter about all the jewellery and tapestries he was collecting, which just seemed to go on and on for pages and pages.

But the rest was truly gripping.