When Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, first came to the public, it was banned for its "immortal and vulgar" ideas. Ironically, these same ideas are what give the story its beauty. Not only does the novel have a fast moving, suspenseful plot, with intriguing theories, but also Wilde paints the story with descriptive, complex language full of imagery and literary devices. Of course, as any novel, it has its vices. Many of the interesting theories are poorly backed up and lack sense. In addition, at times the reader grows tired of the constant repetition of the same ideas, of the excessive description. Regardless, Dorian Gray still proves an excellent read.

From the time Lord Henry first meets Dorian to Dorian's dying day, he pours his strange ideas repeatedly into Dorian's very influential mind. Many of these ideas are totally bizarre as well as full of...