fleurdecor ☆ !

In the first few chapters of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I found myself really surprised by quite a few things. The relatability of the text as well as the characters themselves were all something I found myself having little to no trouble understanding despite the fact that the book’s english is far outdated for my brain to comprehend most of the time. The first three chapters felt familiar like a close friend telling me a story of some of their own acquaintances.

Basil is incredibly interesting to me. He doesn’t seem like the type to be as head over heels as he is or to be hurt by the commentary that Henry throws his way. He seems to play off the friendship he has with Henry, but simultaneously holds nothing back when speaking to him; divulging deep and intimate thoughts like they were casual topics of conversation between them. This contrasts with Henry’s own character who boasts their closeness and how much he enjoys Basil, all without ever really delving into anything personal about himself at all and keeping to his philosophical jargon (with love).

Their relationship was already interesting to me even before we were officially introduced to the Dorian Gray. As for Dorian himself, he seems quite impressionable and naive, which I’m sure will be a theme of this book as I read on. His infatuation with Henry’s words and verbiage also lend to his naivety that contrasts Basil; who seems like he is usually unaffected by Henry’s displays of aesthetic monologuing.