Most of us know this story.
I’ve seen two movie versions and a stage play. These focussed on the horror elements as well as the philosophy Wilde weaves into the tale – the idea of whether our soul is tainted by our actions.
This uncensored version restores gay content which the novel’s first editor feared would offend readers back in 1891.
Portrait artist, Basil Hallward, paints Dorian’s picture.
It is unveiled while Lord Henry Wotton is visiting. As the novel progresses, Dorian is influenced by Henry’s hedonistic approach to life, while Basil is romantically obsessed with Dorian. As Dorian remains ageless, living his life without consequence, it is his ageing portrait which displays the true nature of his sinister character.
In the first scene, Basil tells Henry about his open marriage. Neither Basil or his wife kiss and tell. It is clear immediately that Basil is gay. When Dorian joins them, the dialogue continues to be drenched in purple prose – all characters as witty as those in Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest.
This often makes it hard to know who is talking.
These three characters often sound the same – all high camp with an extra dose of melodrama. In one chapter, there are no dialogue tags. I often had to go back and work out who said what as there are many long monologues in this novel. For the record, it is Wilde’s only novel.
One thing I was impressed by was Wilde’s own storytelling, when little or no dialogue was used. It sounded contemporary, as if I was reading something published in recent years.
Dorian’s ethical decline is fast tracked by a book.
It changes his view on how to live his life and is gifted to him by Lord Henry. Usually, its title isn’t mentioned but in this uncensored version, the book is known as The Secret of Raoul written by Catulle Sarrazin.
I had to know more about this devious work, so I Googled. The book doesn’t exist but the author is a hybrid of two French writers, Catulle Mendes and Gabriel Sarrazin.
At this time, banned French novels written by those known as the Decadents focussed on hedonism and material indulgence. This lifestyle appeals to Dorian, who like the protagonist in Joris-Karl Huysmans’ novel Against Nature, fills his boredom by collecting art, antiques and perfumes.
The fictional book’s hero, Raoul, is a reference to a novel titled Monsieur Venus. This was an erotic story penned by French female writer Rachilde. It follows a female cross-dresser named Raoule who enters into a sexual relationship with a girlish young man. He becomes her mistress.
This uncensored edition of Wilde’s classic is a quick read.
There are only around 160 pages of the actual novel in my copy of the book. For me, it was a page turner, despite the times I had to stop and work out who was speaking.
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kevin klehr 