Dear reader,
When we heard Dominic admit he had never read The Picture of Dorian Gray, you probably thought that would be the shock of the episode. The revelation was soon eclipsed by his scoring...
I found Wilde’s language and its opulence hypnotic, Dominic described it as infuriating and said it had him longing for the world of Panem in The Hunger Games, which may have prompted me to call him a philistine.
When we sat down to create The Book Club, did we ever think we’d be in a world where Suzanne Collins outscored Oscar Wilde, with Dominic awarding them 6.5 and 5 out of 10 respectively?
Perhaps that’s the brilliance of being part of a book club and the art of disagreeing agreeably.
On the topic of Wilde, I thought that as an extra thank you for joining Book Notes, I’d give readers what I know you’ve been awaiting since the podcast came out earlier this week. Here’s the picture of me as Mrs Cheveley in An Ideal Husband.
Much-disparaged when it was first published, this is a text ripe for debate. There’s plenty to discuss about the morality of art, the duality of life, the importance of beauty and how prescient many of Wilde’s themes are today.
Keep reading for the full list of what we’ll be covering next as well as polls and recommendations - both from us and you.
There’s also the big reveal on who you thought would be most likely to survive the Hunger Games out of Dominic and me...
We want this newsletter to reflect your recommendations. We’re also especially keen on seeing your reviews of the books we’ve covered on the show, so do send these to [email protected].
Towards the end of this episode, we ended up musing about a dream literary dinner party. I’m intrigued by who your perfect guests would be and why? Tell us and your answer could soon be featured here.
Until next week,
Tabby
If you enjoyed The Picture of Dorian Gray
📚 À Rebours / Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans - The “poisonous book” referred to in The Picture of Dorian Gray that is part of the eponymous character’s corruption. It makes a great companion read for Wilde fans - even though Dominic branded it “quite boring”.
📚 The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole - Regarded as one of the first Gothic novels (while Wilde’s work is considered one of the last classic Gothic horror stories), it also contains a terrifying portrait.
📚 The Sign of The Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - As Dominic and Tabby said, this book emerged from the same dinner party that led to the first publication of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Can you tell?
📚 Dracula by Bram Stoker - A contemporary to Wilde’s novel, this classic holds many of the same Victorian anxieties as The Picture of Dorian Gray, from urban decay to the pollution of society.
📽 Wilde - watch Stephen Fry as the titular playwright and author and see Jude Law’s much discussed portrayal of Lord Alfred (Bosie) Douglas.
🎭 Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Wilde adored Shakespeare and frequently wrote about Hamlet in literary essays. With the troubled protagonist’s slow descent into madness, there are parallels to be drawn too…
We need your vote!
Did you find The Picture of Dorian Gray a witty masterpiece like Tabby, or an overrated self-indulgence like Dominic?
Notes on… The Picture of Dorian Gray
Rhiannon here with your Book Notes. Long-established as a classic, you might not have anticipated that this novel would be so divisive when it came to our hosts - which shows you should never judge a book by its cover or reputation.
While you too might find yourselves split between Wilde lovers and haters, there’s no doubt that there’s lots to explore. I think the debate about how much the themes relate to today’s preoccupations, as well as those of the late Victorians, is fascinating.
If you’re planning a book club on The Picture of Dorian Gray, it’s definitely worth suggesting that your group listen to the podcast before coming, given all the brilliant historical detail and context provided by Dominic and Tabby.
And if you’re left wanting to know more, there’s of course that The Rest Is History series on Wilde too.
Now you’re all prepped, here are some talking points to consider.
Tabby loved the “opulence and flamboyance” of Wilde’s writing. Dominic said he was “sick of that lush, heady prose… I feel like I’ve grown out of it and didn’t have the patience for it.”
Is Wilde’s writing wonderful or frustrating?
Explore why your viewpoints differed. Do you agree with Dominic’s suggestion you can “grow out” of enjoying Wilde’s trademark style?
Dominic found Dorian to be “extremely unlikeable” while Tabby thought he’d initially be “great fun” and found his downfall fascinating. What was your verdict?
Hugely controversial at the time, it was called “unclean” and famously one critic said it was written for “outlawed noblemen and perverted telegraph-boys”. Tabby said she was struck by how many of the books now considered “great” were badly received in their own time.
Do you find this theory to be true? What other works would you say fall into this category?
Tabby loved “the idea that everyone should fight their vanities and ego” - one of the main themes of the book.
In creating a portrait which takes on a person’s moral decay, what did you think Wilde was trying to say about beauty?
Wilde said the idea came to him while sitting for a portrait. “'What a tragic thing it is,” he noted. “This portrait will never grow older and I shall. If it was only the other way!” While we are repulsed by the actions of Dorian Gray, is there something relatable in the comments made by Wilde?
What are your reflections on the exploration of ageing? How did the presence of time compare to the themes we discussed in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway?
From Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait to The Castle of Otranto, portraits are often used in Gothic literature. Why?
The historical context is key - this novel is riddled with the preoccupations of the late Victorian period such as moral decay, degeneracy and changing gender relations.
Explore the ways in which The Picture of Dorian Gray is a portal to the concerns of the 1890s, reflecting the moral panic around the breakdown of the family, to the birth of the ‘New Woman’ and the decline of the empire as well as concerns around rising crime. What symbols of decay and fears around the degeneration of society do you see in Wilde’s writing?
As Tabby noted, many of the themes - such as the concept of self-importance, the distinction between a public and private life and the cult of wellness - all still feel relevant today. Discuss the parallels with modern society that came to mind when you were reading.
This is a Gothic horror story - what parts did you find most disturbing and why?
A preface was added by Wilde in a later edition, with the goal of defending the novel from critics. “There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book, books are well written or badly written, that is all,” he wrote.
Early drafts were deemed outrageous for their hints at homosexuality and the story was famously used against Wilde in his trial for gross indecency. Discuss the importance of homoeroticism and how it’s weaved throughout the plot.
The novel is often regarded as an attack on the privileges of the aristocratic, but (as noted by Dominic) some claim the idea Wilde promotes, of art being amoral, is a mockery of the earnest bourgeois middle class. How did you interpret the portrayal of class?
Dorian’s demise and his ultimate death are, as Dominic says, a symbol of “be careful what you wish for”.
What do you think Wilde was trying to convey through the ending?
Did you feel sympathy for Dorian Gray?
The novel, Wilde said, “contains much of me in it”. It is often claimed that parts of the author run through each of the three main male characters. How much of Wilde can you see in The Picture of Dorian Gray?
The quote that says it all
“Beauty is a form of Genius - is higher, indeed, than Genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts of the world, like sunlight, or spring-time, or the reflection in dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. It has its divine right of sovereignty. It makes princes of those who have it.”
An extremely Lord Henry quote. But why does it send a chill through the bones when read in 2026? Let us know.
Who should you recommend this to?
Someone who thinks they’re hilarious (and could brush up on their witticisms)? An Instagram addict? A friend who could learn that Botox won’t save their soul?
Tell us, who would you share this with?
Recommended reads
We know from our Instagram page that you have a lot of thoughts about what Dominic and Tabby should cover. Instead, we’re taking recommendations here for your fellow Book Notes community members. Tell us what this group should pick up next by sending two or three sentences about your book of choice and we’ll feature as many as we can in future weeks… Email [email protected].
Here are some of the messages you’ve sent in…
Rupert urges everyone to try out The Magus by John Fowles. “An underrated author - or maybe a forgotten one,” he writes. “Brilliant book.”
Janet suggests The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. “It is a very creatively structured murder mystery with a range of characters who will make you feel every emotion. The writing is superb and engrossing. It is definitely a story that will stay with you a long while.”
Malcolm writes movingly about Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak and its role in his political awakening. “I loved the broad historical sweep of the novel, but, more than that, it gave me a ground level view of great historic events, how they are experienced by ordinary individuals…I think it’s one of the great 20th century novels.”
Reviewers’ Corner
We can’t wait to see your responses to The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Are you an Oscar Wilde-lover who wants to take on Dominic?
Are Wilde’s witticisms tiresome or terrific?
What are the classics that you are ashamed to say you’ve never read…
Let us know by emailing [email protected] with ‘review’ in the subject line.
We were thrilled with the strength of feeling around The Hunger Games… Here’s a sample from the mailbox...
Your The Hunger Games poll
First, the results you’ve been waiting for - who you think would be most likely to survive the Hunger Games. Tabby swept to victory, with 59.6% of the vote.
We also asked for your score out of 10 genetically engineered wasps for Suzanne Collins’ novel. Dominic gave it 6.5 while Tabby said 7. The winning score among this audience was 8 (26% of you) while 7 and 6 were also popular.
Aged out?
Given our discussion around YA in last week’s Book Notes, we were interested in Siobhan’s email which said: “Read it as teen and enjoyed it, read them all - they were page turners. Started it with the pod and couldn't finish it! After forcing myself through A Court Of Thorns And Roses I couldn't cope with the writing anymore! Found that very interesting!”
A Capitol offence?
Laurie felt Dominic was at a disadvantage having not read the whole Hunger Games trilogy, writing: “As the leader of the 2010s YA dystopia fad, I do think The Hunger Games is the series that does it best, as once you take the full trilogy into account, you can see that Collins did not just set out to write an entertaining story, but one with a real message about rebellion, trauma, power, and healing. There are very few YA books that match The Hunger Games for its intentional storytelling.
“One aspect of The Hunger Games phenomenon that wasn't discussed on the show was how much of the media craze around the books and movies came to mirror exactly the type of shallow, materialistic media frenzy that the novels critique. Media coverage of the movies was taken over with debates about Team Peeta vs. Team Gale. Actors who star in the movies have been catapulted to astronomical levels of fame.
“Now that Collins has opened the door to writing prequels and new movies are being made, the fans are clamouring for more Hunger Games stories even though the message of the books is that being entertained by the Games is wrong. Whether we realise it or not, The Hunger Games audience has become the Capitol: we consume the stories of the Games from our positions of peace and safety and demand the next as soon as one is over. Maybe it's worth stepping back and thinking about what it means that we are keeping The Hunger Games series alive in this way.”
Next on The Book Club
If you or your book club want to read ahead, here’s what’s coming up…
June 15: The Code Of The Woosters by PG Wodehouse
June 22: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
June 29: A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
July 7: The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame
July 14: The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Keeping Score
Dominic gave The Picture of Dorian Gray a 5 exhaustingly persistent witticisms out of 10. “I became very bored of Lord Henry,” he said. Tabby defended the text, giving it 7.5.
Send us your scores and we’ll share the average next week.
See you next week for The Code of the Woosters.
The Book Club team
