A work of art can often be judged by what readers read about it. The "Portrait of Dorian Gray" is an exception in this regard. After all, this work, which today is considered a classic not only of English, but also of world literature, was once called scandalous and was attacked by critics. Therefore, it will be interesting to trace how this is one of the most controversial and at the same time interesting works perceived by the readership.
Summary
“Dorian Gray” is a rather complicated book both from the plot and from the semantic point of view. It was written by the famous English writer O. Wilde in just three weeks. And she saw the light in 1890. Penetrated by the dominant spirit of dissidentism at the end of the century, filled with complex philosophical allegories, this work immediately attracted the attention of the general public with its unusual content and the urgent issues that are raised in it.
The novel tells of an unusually handsome young man. He, obsessed with the idea of preserving eternal youth and his external attractiveness, expresses the wish that he always remain as beautiful, strong, healthy as in his twenty years. These words come true in some unusual way. However, after this, the young man begins to lead a dissolute life, and his portrait begins to reflect the internal decomposition of the personality of the protagonist. In the end, unable to withstand the consciousness of his own depravity, Gray tries to destroy the drawing, but at the same time dies himself, turning into a decrepit old man.
About society
It is not surprising that such an ambiguous plot received conflicting reviews. “Portrait of Dorian Gray” is a novel in which several layers can be conditionally distinguished. But the greatest controversy caused the writer to depict a contemporary of high-society English society. Many saw this as an attempt to discredit the friend, argued that the author unfairly judges representatives of the upper strata of the population. These days, on the contrary, this description of the light of the rich is especially appreciated by modern readers. On the basis of the text of the novel, they can get an idea of what the upper circles of the nobility of the late nineteenth century were like.
This aspect of the novel receives, as a rule, positive reviews. "The portrait of Dorian Gray" in our time is appreciated precisely for the reliable, vivid and convincing artistic reproduction of mores, customs, lifestyle of the then nobility. Most users note the undoubted skill and talent of the writer in characterizing contemporary times. Thus, what used to be the object of criticism now causes rave reviews from readers.
About the idea
Regarding the plot of the story, there were slightly different reviews. The "Portrait of Dorian Gray" by composition clearly has references to Balzac's famous work "Shagreen Skin". Therefore, the reading public of that time was basically familiar with a similar story. However, the famous French writer emphasized not so much the philosophical as the social component. He tried to give the most complete picture of all the vices of modern high society, while the fantastic line with shagreen skin served him as an effective way to reveal the inner world of the protagonist with the greatest fullness and reliability.
At the same time, Wilde in his history strengthened the mystical component in the sense that he brought to the fore the transformation of the psychology of the character, his internal state, the deterioration of which was so clearly reflected in the portrait. This move was quite in the spirit of its time. However, modern readers consider this idea to be particularly successful and exciting. Many directors even find elements of a thriller and even horror in this idea, trying to rethink the work of the author.
About the protagonist
Perhaps the most famous work of O. Wilde is the novel "Portrait of Dorian Gray." Reviews of the book at first were the most controversial, even mostly negative. But in our time, the work is gaining more positive ratings. The protagonist of the work is one of the most controversial images in world literature. At first, he appears as a bright, pure youth with a romantic worldview. The young man is naive, simple, he is capable of pure love (it is not for nothing that the artist B. Hallward sees in him the ideal of man). However, the subsequent metamorphosis with it amazes readers. Gradually, under the influence of the fashionable and cynical hedonist Lord Henry, he wallows in vices.
The latter circumstance caused a wave of criticism in its time, since many considered such a detailed depiction of dark human passions as immoral. However, it should be noted here that the writer did not dwell on the description of the inner fall of his hero. Today, the "Portrait of Dorian Gray" is perceived somewhat differently. Reviews of the book are more positive, but in the fall of the character they see the philosophical meaning that was already sounded in the mentioned Balzac novel: the main thing is the internal spiritual state, and not the external wealth and prosperity, which both heroes so aspired to.
About Lord Henry
One of the most mysterious and controversial characters in the book is the man who pushed the young man onto the vicious path. He inspired him with the idea that everything should be taken from life, and also expressed regret about the temporality of youth and beauty. This person became Lord Henry - a representative of the highest English society, sybarite, which has a cynical character and an unusual sense of humor.
The novel "Portrait of Dorian Gray", reviews of which are the subject of this review, many remember this unusual character. The author puts sharp and caustic criticism of contemporary late Victorian society into his mouth. Being a sybarite in the intellectual and physical sense, Lord Henry ensures that the young man embarks on the path of crime. This is one of the most controversial and controversial characters in the entire work. He acts as a seducer of the young man, stealthily pushing him to illegal actions, contributing to his corruption and turning into a spoiled person.
The image of Sybil
The work “Portrait of Dorian Gray”, reviews of which show how contradictory its plot, content and ideological meaning are, is interesting by unusual characters, a subtle and plausible depiction of their psychology. In this regard, the image of Sybil Wayne attracts attention. She is a poor but very talented actress. Prior to meeting with D. Gray, she lived in her fictional, theatrical world, in which she was completely happy. She brilliantly played the main roles of the Shakespearean repertoire and with her unusual talent attracted the attention of an impressionable young man who, seeing her on the stage, immediately fell in love.
In a love storyline, O. Wilde showed himself to be a true master of psychological analysis. "Portrait of Dorian Gray", reviews of which are generally positive, is a novel with a complex love line. Her tragic ending in many ways served as an impetus to the terrible metamorphosis of the protagonist. Almost all readers agree that the character of this girl is interesting, unusual in that she lost her amazing talent just when she truly fell in love and tried to break out of the artificial world in which she still lived. Seeing Gray's disappointment, she committed suicide.
Film adaptation
“Dorian Gray” - a film whose reviews also turned out to be extremely controversial, was shot in 2009 (it should be noted here that the work of Wald was filmed more than thirty times). Many viewers criticized him for the fact that the storyline was significantly changed in it, a new female character was introduced, and the images of heroes were incorrectly shown. Some users were unhappy that the director introduced elements of thriller and horror into the picture, in particular, changing the appearance of the portrait. Also, the acting game of the protagonist of the protagonist caused controversy, in contrast to the work of K. Fert (who played Lord Henry), the improvisations of which the audience liked.
However, another part of the users positively perceived the director’s experimental moves. The scenery and costumes of the film were approved. However, those who are familiar with the book, negatively perceived the changes in this classic work.
Closest to the original of the book, entitled “Portrait of Dorian Gray,” is a film about which reviews are generally very positive. This old black and white tape came out in 1945. She was nominated for a number of prestigious awards and prizes (including an Oscar). The picture was warmly received by both critics and spectators, despite some discrepancies with the text of the work, which, however, are insignificant. The game of A. Lansbury was especially noteworthy. For the best female supporting role, she received the Golden Globe. A large number of adaptations speaks of the unflagging interest of the public in this work of the English writer.
Musical
It would seem that such a complex and controversial plot can in no way be taken as the basis for the creation of a musical performance. Nevertheless, the American composer R. Bauer wrote the eponymous work, the world premiere of which took place in 2010. The musical “Portrait of Dorian Gray”, reviews of which turned out to be as contradictory as with respect to the work itself and its adaptation, combines elements of drama, complex polyphonic choirs. It is permeated by quite dynamic solo parts. At the same time, the performance contains elements of computer animation, which was ambiguously perceived by the audience.
Fans of the text of the novel reacted negatively to this experiment. While another part of the audience considered this director’s move a good way of conveying the writer’s thoughts on stage. Not everyone liked the use of microphones during the performance. Some credit the musical for the fact that it pretty closely follows the content of the work itself. In general, the majority of users acknowledge that, in principle, the composer managed, if not to convey the complex philosophical subtext of the novel, to at least combine the unusual plot of the work with the light form of the musical.
theatrical performance
The play "Portrait of Dorian Gray", reviews of which also turned out to be different, became a landmark event in the theatrical life of the capital. The transfer of this complex, multifaceted work to the stage attracted the attention of fans of this work. However, the estimates turned out to be very contradictory. Posing in a modern way, unusual costumes, animation, not everyone liked. The director’s experiments in the spirit of our time, many did not like. However, a number of users note original music, interesting choral parts, and spectacular computer animation. However, the last reception aroused bewilderment among some viewers. They note in the comments that due to the use of the visuals, the feeling of theatricality of the action was lost.
Thus, the play “Portrait of Dorian Gray” became an important event in cultural life in 2014. The Yermolova Theater, reviews of which are generally positive, went to this experiment because of the great and unflagging interest in this novel. It should be noted: if the production itself caused controversy, then the excellent play of the actor O. Menshikov was highly appreciated by all. The main object of criticism was the change in the images of heroes. So, the image of the main character in the form of a rapper was not understood by everyone. In addition, the fact that the girl acted as a portrait leaves questions. There is an assumption that in such an unusual way the director wanted to show the sensitive string of a young man, his weak side. So, having staged the play “Portrait of Dorian Gray”, the Ermolova Theater, the reviews of which are so mixed, managed to draw attention to the immortal work of the English writer.
General conclusions
Despite the fact that more than a century has passed since the publication of the novel, user comments prove that the composition is still relevant. Many readers almost unanimously argue that the ideas, thoughts, emotional throwing and experiences of the protagonist are close and akin to the modern generation. Part of the audience is interested in the subtle and colorful image of London's high society, believing that the author was able to perfectly convey the spirit of his time. Almost everyone is unanimous that the novel is extremely complex. And therefore, it is advised to read a book before going to watch a play, musical or film.
The complex philosophical meaning of the work left no one indifferent. The writer's skill in portraying the psychology of the main character is admirable. At the same time, many draw attention to the fact that the author, when describing the gradual moral decline of the character, did not specifically say what exactly his vices are. Here you can recall the explanation on this occasion of Wilde himself, who noted that in the image of Gray everyone can see themselves and understand their own shortcomings. Thus, we can conclude that the creation of O. Wilde, despite the complexity of perception and the ambiguous plot, has become a famous work of the classics, interest in which remains in our days.