Dueling Monsters: Intro Post

Today is the official start date for Dueling Monsters, Round 2.

Here at Fizzy Thoughts I’ll be hosting a read-along of The Picture of Dorian Gray (you can still sign up here). It’ll be a month-long extravaganza, complete with introductory post (that would be this post right here), my thoughts on Dorian Gray (happening sometime before October 31st), my thoughts on the graphic novel adaptation of Dorian Gray (also happening sometime before October 31st), a mid-month check-in (that would be mid-month), a possible movie night on Twitter (towards the end of the month), and a final wrap-up post on October 31st (and I have nothing to add, but I knew you were expecting parentheses).

Those who have signed up to read Dorian along with me are:

• Bev@My Reader’s Block
• Robin@My Two Blessings
• Jenny@ Take Me Away
• Veens
• Trish at eclectic/ eccentric
• Amanda (The Zen Leaf)
• Erin (Erin Reads)
• Heather (I think)

You guys rock!

I’ll also be reading That Other Book, just to see how it compares. However, be warned…I’m fully expecting my boy Dorian to kick some literary ass. Even though I’ve never read the book, his reputation precedes him.

In fact, I’ve never read anything by Oscar Wilde, although I do see him often on my nook’s screensaver, looking quite a bit like this…

Only they’ve made him look a bit more dissolute. Kind of like he’s been on a week-long bender.

So, since I know very little about good ol’ Oscar (well, I have heard about that sodomy charge), I called up my good friend Google to see what I could find.

First of all, I discovered that dude had an awesome name…Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde.

Also, The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only novel he wrote. Most everything else was plays or essays. Which explains why I’ve never read anything by him.

He was an Aesthete and Decadent. Wikipedia provides this lousy definition of Aesthticism:

The Aesthetic Movement is a 19th century European movement that emphasized aesthetic values over moral or social themes in literature, fine art, the decorative arts, and interior design. Generally speaking, it represents the same tendencies that symbolism or decadence stood for in France, or decadentismo stood for in Italy, and may be considered the British branch of the same movement. It belongs to the anti-Victorian reaction and had post-Romantic roots, and as such anticipates modernism. It took place in the late Victorian period from around 1868 to 1901, and is generally considered to have ended with the trial of Oscar Wilde.

Hello? Didn’t you learn that it’s wrong to use the word to define the word. Hmmph. This is slightly more helpful:

The artists and writers of the Aesthetic movement tended to hold that the Arts should provide refined sensuous pleasure, rather than convey moral or sentimental messages. As a consequence, they did not accept John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold’s utilitarian conception of art as something moral or useful. Instead, they believed that Art did not have any didactic purpose; it need only be beautiful. The Aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. Life should copy Art, they asserted. They considered nature as crude and lacking in design when compared to art. The main characteristics of the movement were: suggestion rather than statement, sensuality, massive use of symbols, and synaesthetic effects—that is, correspondence between words, colours and music. It was the music that set the mood.

This explains why Wilde liked to walk down the street with a lily in his hand. It also explains quite a bit about The Picture of Dorian Gray.

And since I’ve rambled on long enough, I’ll leave you with some questions for you to think about as you’re reading the book:

• Do you think The Picture of Dorian Gray stands the test of time? In other words, is it relevant today? If so, why?
• Wilde states in the preface, “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” What do you think about this? Is it true for The Picture of Dorian Gray?
• What do you think Lord Henry’s role is in the novel? And how does his relationship with Dorian shape the novel? What about the relationship between Basil and Dorian?
• What is the role of Sibyl Vane?
• Why do you think Dorian decides to destroy the painting at the end of the novel?
• What makes The Picture of Dorian Gray a Gothic novel?
• Discuss the parallels between Dorian’s story and the legend of Faust. Does Dorian make a pact with the devil?

Oh…one last thing.

Go Dorian!!!!

(Sorry, but I have to practice my cheerleading. And I’m working on a rhyme, but I need to find something to rhyme with Dorian other than Kevorkian.)