Victorians! discussion

Hurray! Our new group read. This month we are reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde which won the last group vote.

Please be careful of spoilers (try and save them for the tread afterwards so that you know everyone will have got to that point) or if that's not possible please mark the spoiler clearly.

Have fun and let's get a great discussion going! ☺

Not one, but three heavy-scented flowering plants contribute perfume to the dreamlike opening of the novel. Heat, a slight breeze, fragrance of tobacco and opium, and a pronounced indolence add to the clouding and distortion of the other senses. A lush, fantastical pipe dream, with poison at its heart.

In contrast to the fantastical perceptions and drugging comforts of too much beauty, perceptions are raw and exposed on Euston Road. The same sun that shines "scarlet-gold" on the other side of town shines "shrilly" for the poor Vanes.

There is an excessive clarity about Lord Henry, I think. His speech generally presents a summation of a great deal of complex thought, without any sense that he has gone through the complexity. Basil is distracted by his art, Dorian by youthful narcissism, Mrs Vane by melodramatic emotion, Sybil by love, James by exigency; Lord Henry is distracted not at all.

As an experienced reader, I know to keep my wits about me and to step carefully through the forest of paradox presented to this point in the story.

An early image in Chapter 1 is the 'honey sweet and honey coloured blossoms of a laburnum' and in the Victorian language of flowers a laburnum represents 'Darkness' and 'Forsaken'. It is also a poisonous plant. The mention of it may therefore be a foreshadowing of things to come, as may be the mention of Adonis and Narcissus, both of whom were gods known for their beauty but who died through rejecting others and living for themselves alone.

http://www.seednation.com/images/seed...

'A divan of Persian saddlebags' is a reference to the orientalism beloved by Victorians, which equated to decadence, luxury and sex. Victorians were fascinated by the Orient and Eastern designs found their way into house furnishings, clothing and numerous paintings.

http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/...

Here is a famous photo of Oscar Wilde in a typical velvet smoking jacket, lounging on oriental rugs or 'throwovers':-

http://islakokotero.blogsome.com/2009...

I find it reminiscent of the studio described in Dorian Gray, which was modelled on the studio of Wilde's friend Charles Rickets, who designed the first cover of the novel.

Here are images of Persian saddlebags, which were thrown over the backs of camels and horses:-

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2...

This is the type of house Wilde describes as Euston Road, although it is his own home in Chelsea:-

http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuillet...

(There are other Wildean images here, including the first edition cover of Dorian Gray by Ricketts.)

MadgeUK wrote: "An early image in Chapter 1 is the 'honey sweet and honey coloured blossoms of a laburnum' and in the Victorian language of flowers a laburnum represents 'Darkness' and 'Forsaken'. It is also a po..."

Great stuff! Thanks, Madge.

Great links, Madge, thanks for posting.

I just finished chapter one.

One of the things I took away from it is that both Lord Henry and Basil seem to feed on or will feed on Dorian Gray but for different reasons. Lord Henry is tempted to "spoil" him while Basil sees him as a muse.

The oppositions set up in the first chapter had an allegorical or mythical feeling for me as well. It reminded me of a medieval morality play or greek myth the way it seemed to be saying this character will represent Beauty, this one Genius, this one Status or Wealth.

I'm interested to see how it plays out.

What did you think about the Preface?

Do you believe "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book"?

It is the spectator; not life, that art really mirrors. It is interesting to see how Lord Henry, Basil and Dorian Gray all have different feeling aroused from the picture of Dorian (and from the person Dorian himself). From the first few chapters you know this books is going to take a dark turn.

I have a feeling Dorian will in the end feel Lord Henry was totally wrong when he said "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick...". I am not sure how the books plays out but I think his future actions will make his own soul sick. I have only read the first three chapters but since Dorian has said he would sell his soul to keep his youth and good looks it seems this book will be about him realizing there is more to life and to a person than looks.

Jamie wrote: 'Do you believe 'there is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book?'

Yes, I believe this because the concept of 'morality' varies from culture to culture so what would be a moral book or anything else will also vary from culture to culture. We might judge, for instance, a book advocating nudity as immoral but someone from an African tribe where nudity is commonplace would not. Morals also change from century to century. What our grandparents thought immoral is not necessarily immoral today. Books advocating women's rights shocked the Victorians but do not shock us. And so on.

As an atheist I do not understand the concept of 'the soul' and cannot see how it can be 'sold' since it is 'the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being (OED). Perhaps 'conscience' would be a better word: 'An inner feeling as to the goodness or otherwise of one's behaviour' (OED). Again, what is a sin in one culture which might be yielded to, might not be a sin in another. The 'sin' people feel is a socio-cultural construct, something you have been told is a 'sin' and therefore if you yield to it you feel you have done something wrong. The Victorians thought masturbation was a dreadful sin, for instance, but most people today do not and so yielding to it is considered a sin no longer. And of course they equally thought that homosexuality (which is an underlying theme in this novel) was a sin and a temptation to which you should not yield. Nowadays, the majority of people do not think this way.

What we may see in DG is that someone does things which hurt someone else and whatever culture you live in, this goes against universal Golden Rule of 'doing unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Resisting the temptation to hurt others, by whatever means, is perhaps the lesson that DG will teach us.

This website unveils some of hypocrisy behind the 'sins' of Victorian times:-

http://www.channel4.com/history/micro...

I find the reverence of beauty, particularly, physical beauty within the novel to be quite interesting, and the way art and artistic ideal seem to play a strong role within the book. It has a touch of the question of "art imitating life, life imitating art"

The story opens up with the introduction of an artist, pondering over one of his works, while Lord Henry seems to value life itself with the eye of an artist, always seeking the higher aesthetic.

Though I cannot completely agree with Lord Henry's ideas, I think I understand where he is coming from. In essence beauty, natural external beauty, such as can be seen with the eye is pure, uncorrupted, it cannot be influenced. It is a way of seeing something or someone for itself.

But thought, and intellect is by its nature all corrupted whether it is "good" of "bad" it cannot come purely from ones self, it is defined and shaped by the influence of outside forces, by others, everyone in some form or another has had the will of another imposed upon them.

While beauty stands alone.

I also like the way in which while Lord Henry and Dorian are talking about value and importance of beauty, the landscape itself in which they are standing reflects the ideals of physical natural beauty, with the lilacs, and the buzzing of the bees, the signing of the birds. Wilde paints a canvas with words around them which illiterates the point which Henry seeks to make.

MadgeUK wrote: "Jamie wrote: 'Do you believe 'there is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book?'

Yes, I believe this because the concept of 'morality' varies from culture to culture so what would be a moral b..."

I totally agree different cultures and times have different moral codes and each individual person determines what is moral for themselves. I believe to "sale your soul" means you eventually do things that are immoral to yourself which in turn would make you pay dearly mentally or make your "soul sick". The book may take an unrealistic turn by Dorian really selling his soul to teach the moral that external beauty is not the most important thing in life to obtain, definitely if you do things that you think are immoral to get beauty.

Like you said the book does have a homosexual undertone and I find this unique in the Victorian books I have read. Wilde was put in jail for homosexuality which eventually lead to his death. To sentence someone to two years hard work would be seen as crazy and immoral by most people today (I hope!).

I agree that doing or thinking harmful things can affect your mental state.

DG was originally called 'The Fisherman and His Soul' - the story of a man who gives away his soul to win a mermaid. His soul had many adventures but becomes criminal and cruel.

The idea of a second self is a common theme in literature - the Germans call it having 'doppelganger' or double-goer. Throughout the story Dorian is confronted with mirror images of himself, or acts as a mirror to others. At first he believes that the portrait will teach him about himself and be 'the most magical of mirrors' which will 'reveal to him his own soul'. He reflects on its advantages for his body, with which, thanks to the portrait, he falls in love. This brings to mind the story of the ancient Greek god Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. Wilde read the Greats at Oxford and his work is full of classical literary images.

Wilde wrote The Ballad of Reading Goal whilst in prison, which, again, has many literary allusions including some appertaining to his homosexuality. The well known refrain 'for each man kills the thing he loves' is very pertinent to the theme of the DG story:-

http://www.poetry-online.org/wilde_th...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/books...

Silver wrote: "I find the reverence of beauty, particularly, physical beauty within the novel to be quite interesting, and the way art and artistic ideal seem to play a strong role within the book. It has a touch..."

The reverence for beauty was very much part of the Aesthetic Movement to which Wilde belonged at Oxford. He decorated his room with peacock feathers, lilies, sunflowers and blue china and once said 'I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my blue china':). The movement was a rebellion against the ugliness of the Industrial Revolution. There was also an Aesthetic Dress Movement and Wilde and his companions became known for their flamboyant, extravagant dress.

http://www.fashion-era.com/aesthetics...?

This is a photo of Oscar Wilde wearing aesthetic dress during his tour of America:-

http://www.thedandy.org/OscarWildewit...

Here is a reproduction of an aesthetic interior such as Wilde might have favoured:-

http://www.aestheticinteriors.com/

MadgeUK wrote: "Silver wrote: "I find the reverence of beauty, particularly, physical beauty within the novel to be quite interesting, and the way art and artistic ideal seem to play a strong role within the book...."

The way in which Henry spoke of beauty and his reverence for it, and the importance of physical aesthetics did make me think of the Pre-Raphaelite art movement, and I wondered if there was any Pre-Raphealite influence in the book

On the Wilde photo, I have a similar image as the cover of my edition of the book. It looks like close to the same outfit, he is just sitting down instead of standing.

Here is a link to the image I have of him

http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargeme...

On the interior: Wow, that is a bit gaudy, even for my own eccentric tastes that is a tad much.

I have been reading about the Aesthetic Movement since starting the book and feel its a good thing to research so you can see the mind frame of Wilde while reading Dorian Gray. Also knowing about Wilde's life and homosexuality would help with his works. I think he would have been an intersting person to meet. I think the book I have also includes The Ballad of Reading Goal. It would be good to discuss this also if its in peoples book.

I have not had the chance to read the whole thing yet, but I came across this interesting essay by Wilde which deals with the topic of art and aesthetic and the question of "Art imitating life vs life imitating art"

http://www.wilde-online.info/the-deca...

I love that interior Silver and have seen many like it in the houses of my great aunts. That kind of interior aesthetic is still used by 'arty' English folks and William Morris wallpaper and fabric designs are still sold in upmarket stores like Liberty's and John Lewis.

http://www.william-morris.co.uk/

The Golden Lily design is still extremely popular and you see it everywhere - I have used it myself. Are such designs available in the US?:-

http://www.william-morris.co.uk/

I love that essay too - it is so very witty, pure Wilde! Such as: 'Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching. Our splendid physique as a people is entirely due to our national stupidity.' :):):)

I agree Jamie, that it would be good to discuss the influence of the Aesthetic movement on the book. Perhaps we can pick up references to it as we go along and comment accordingly?

I was just looking at the cover the DG edition displayed here and must say that I think it is pretty pathetic given all the gothic/aesthetic images they could have used!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Picture-Doria...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Picture-Doria...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eye-Classics-...

MadgeUK wrote: "I love that interior Silver and have seen many like it in the houses of my great aunts. That kind of interior aesthetic is still used by 'arty' English folks and William Morris wallpaper and fabric..."

I really love Victorian furniture, but all the floral prints in the wall paper, drapes, carpets etc... are not quite my thing.

I have not quite finished the essay yet, as I started reading it late last night, so my ability to concentrate began to flag, but thus far I am finding it quite interesting and see some of the same ideas expressed within Dorian Gray.

I am curious as to how much influence did Wilde's homosexuality have within his writing? At the dinner part of Lady Agatha's the whole scene with Lord Harry and Dorian exchanging glances and smiles at each other across the table did seem to take on a bit of a flirtatious nature.

Given the 'stir' his behaviour caused everywhere at a time when it was illegal, I think it would be impossible for him to NOT hide it in his literature or anywhere else although of course what he says about it is 'coded' because of the illegality of it. Here are two pieces on the effect it had on his writing:-

http://victorian-fiction.suite101.com...

POSSIBLE SPOILER:

http://www.victoriaspast.com/OscarWil...

Interesting articles, thanks for sharing.

I feel like as I am reading Dorian Gray I am adding a whole untold story into the plot because of knowing about Wilde's homosexuality and the wording that is used in the book. I was just wondering how much this is effecting others reading the book.

Jamie wrote: "I feel like as I am reading Dorian Gray I am adding a whole untold story into the plot because of knowing about Wilde's homosexuality and the wording that is used in the book. I was just wondering ..."

That is something that is certainly easy to do, and something I myself think I might be guilty of. Knowing of his homosexuality in advance and considering the nature of the story, it is hard not to read certain things into the story and the way some things are worded.

Though I do think it is reasonable as expressed in the articles provided by Madge that Wilde did indeed express his homosexuality though his writing.

If we know about his homosexuality we must read it very differently to his contemporaries, for whom homosexuality was, in the main, a closed book. If we don't know about it then I suppose our reading is more like that of his contemporaries. In the UK everyone knows about Oscar Wilde whose plays, in particular, are studied at school, and a very good film was made of his life, featuring the excellent actor Stephen Fry, a homosexual himself, who bears a striking resemblance to Wilde:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilde-DVD-Ste...

BTW I missed the word 'not' out of my post above! As one of the articles says, he was desperate to reveal his 'dark secret' and we know that in our own time what agonies gay people suffered before they took the decision (once it was legalised) to 'come out'. I was watching a very moving DVD about the Gay Pride movement started in the US by Harvey Milk in the 1970s and that showed how very difficult the lives of 'closeted' homosexuals could be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk

The Notes to my old Penguin edition of DG have this to say about Oscar's Wilde's unique writing style:-

'Once you have read his essays or stories or seen one of his plays, or even heard some of his witticisms, you can easily identify the distinctive style of Oscar Wilde. He took enormous pains to polish his work and drafts of Dorian Gray reveal a large number of small alterations that show the attention he paid to the precise choice of words and to the rhythm of his sentences.... Wilde was not interested in originality. His work does not surprise with novelties but makes readers look afresh at what they think they already know. We are not encouraged to "lose ourselves" in a realistic narrative...but are constantly made aware that this book has been made by a craftsman who is working within literary traditions....Wilde is always aware of the presence of his reader and takes pains to shape a lively relationship between reader and writer. The Preface to Dorian Gray, signed 'Oscar Wilde', is a direct challenge to us to pay attention and draw our own conclusions about the story.

Here are some of his memorable witticisms:-

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/...

MadgeUK wrote: "The Notes to my old Penguin edition of DG have this to say about Oscar's Wilde's unique writing style:-

'Once you have read his essays or stories or seen one of his plays, or even heard some of hi..."

I found it quite amusing that in one of the articles it said that in his time Wilde was not considered a homosexual, but they called him a heterosexual who engaged in homosexual behavior.

Yes, it reminded me of the apocryphal story that Queen Victoria said that there were no such things as lesbians!

http://www.forteantimes.com/strangeda...

I wonder if when Wilde was in Reading Goal he found that the heterosexual prisoners engaged in homosexual behaviour, because that is a common situation in prisons.

MadgeUK wrote: "Yes, it reminded me of the apocryphal story that Queen Victoria said that there were no such things as lesbians!

http://www.forteantimes.com/strangeda......"

that reminds me of where the term Prince Albert orginated from :)

wonderful discussion in here, just finished reading all your thoughts and links. I audiod this book a few months ago and was just ok for me, i dont have a good history with audio though it has to be said. but the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde certainly shines through. i didnt realise it was where the line about 'not wanting to be a memeber of any club that would accept him' or something like that came from. I relaly didnt like any of the characters though which was a problem for me.

I don't think I've ever seen so many hyperlinks in a thread before! It's like offering a second book to read with all those links! :)

LOL Paula - see my thread Location Location Location!

Jon - I think Oscar Wilde is our most quoted author next to Shakespeare!

MadgeUK wrote: "LOL Paula - see my thread Location Location Location!"

Oh, I've seen it! :)

Jon wrote: "wonderful discussion in here, just finished reading all your thoughts and links. I audiod this book a few months ago and was just ok for me, i dont have a good history with audio though it has to b..."

Though I do not always agree with some of the views the other characters have, or the things they say, I have to say I do find them rather charming and delightful in their own way and at the very least thy do amuse me.

Basil is the only central character with a sense of right and wrong who believes in the innate goodness of mankind. Do you, like Lord Henry, find him to be a 'bore'? I like his cynicism towards upper class English society and his remark in Chap 1 that 'in an evening coat and a white tie, anybody, even a stock-broker, can gain a reputation for being civilised.' !!

He does not dress to impress - Dorian teases him about his modest luggage and Lord Henry mocks his cheap watch. In contrast to Dorian and Henry he has a desire not to be a personality. He has no desire for money and does not want to exhibit his picture even though it is his best work. He is the reverse of Lord Henry's ideal of 'one man [who must:] live his life completely..give form to every feeling, expression to every thought, reality to every dream'. He is Dr Jekyll to Lord Henry's Mr Hyde, another Victorian novel which also takes place in a modern city in the slums and in the houses of the wealthy, which hide secrets behind closed doors in the gothic tradition.

I feel that Basil is too good to be true and that something bad might happen to him....

What a fabulous conversation you have going on here - so interesting to read!

I must confess that I haven't picked this book up this time as I have read it before and I wasn't especially a fan but reading this has made me think I may pick it up again now.

More on flower language:

Dorian, overcome at Basil's studio, hides his face and seeks comfort in lilac blossoms. Lilac symbolizes the first stirrings of love.

http://home.kendra.com/victorianritua...

MadgeUK wrote: "Basil is the only central character with a sense of right and wrong who believes in the innate goodness of mankind. Do you, like Lord Henry, find him to be a 'bore'? I like his cynicism towards ..."

I do not find Basil to be a bore, though Lord Henry is more outlandish and perhaps in his way more entertaining, I cannot help but feel bad for Basil in the way that Dorian and Lord Henry treat him and how they are so easily willing to just blow him off because they do not find him as interesting and because he does not subscribe to thier ideal

But Basil I think has his own eccentricity in his art, and perhaps it is because of the art connection that I do enjoy Basil. I rather liked the conversation he had with Lord Henry about the portrait of Dorian when he said he could not sell it because he put too much of himself into it, and Lord Henry was completely oblivious to what he meant, but I understand Basil completely in his meaning.

Though in some ways Basil is not so different from Lord Henry in the fact that he too worships Dorian for his beauty and physical aesthetic, and in a way they are both using Dorian for thier own personal purposes.

For Basil, Dorian is like something of a living muse, and all he truly wants from him is to use him as a inspiration for his art. When Dorian is sitting for Basil, Basil is completely oblivious to Dorian, and Dorian's needs and wants, and only thinks of his painting and what he wants from Dorian as a sitter.

As well he wants to initially try and deny Dorian the opportunity of friendship with Lord Henry because he does not want Lord Henry to spoil Dorian as a subject for Basil's painting.

Basil may have more of a moral sense than Lord Henry or Dorian, but in his own way he is no less selfish than they are.

Peregrine wrote: "More on flower language:

Dorian, overcome at Basil's studio, hides his face and seeks comfort in lilac blossoms. Lilac symbolizes the first stirrings of love.

http://home.kendra.com/victorianrit..."

Thanks Peregrine - The Victorians were very much into the language of flowers and many novels of this period refer to it. Let's see how many we can find!

MadgeUK wrote: Let's see how many we can find!

You're on!

OK:):).

The mention of the 'rich odour of roses' right at the beginning of the book is very significant because the French poet and writer on homosexuality, Raffalovich, published a collection of poems called Tuberose and Meadowsweet which outlined a secret language of flowers which gays then adopted. (He studied at Oxford and Oscar Wilde attended his London 'salon'.) Raffalovich called the rose 'a flower whose name I may not tell' and wrote that it represented 'dangerous pleasures'. In Chapter 1, first paragraph, the 'delicate perfume' also hides a 'thorn'. Lilac, which gets second mention, signifies beauty and pride, and purple lilac signifies the first emotion of love.

In the second paragraph the poisonous Laburnum represents Darkness and Forsaken Love whilst Woodbine means Fraternal Love, so there is our story, summed up in the first two paragraphs in the language of flowers!

Wow, Madge, you sure know how to keep your wits about you amidst the drowsy heat and perfume!

LOL. Your turn now Peregrine!

Hello everyone,
I love the language of flowers info, Madge and Peregrine.
I read this book a long time ago, and sadly, I'm not enjoying it as much as I did the first time. I guess it's part of the point of the whole aesthetic movement, but I feel the writing is over-refined and a little stifling. I especially miss the sense of humor from Wilde's plays. While you could say that it comes through in some of Lord Henry's witticisms, he's such a thoroughly corrupt character, it's hard (for me, at least) to enjoy them.
One thing strikes me about the famous quotes in the book. Since they're attributed simply to "Oscar Wilde," I never remembered that he put things like "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it" in the mouth of that reptile, Lord Henry, and that he didn't say them himself when he was out and about to shock society. It's so easy to picture him strolling around in his velvet suit and cape uttering things like that. It's interesting that, ultimately, this tale (and I hope I'm not spoiling anything for anyone) takes such a moral stance, which seems at odds with Wilde's louche reputation. Or perhaps we only think of him as disreputable because of the scandal at the end of his life?

I do not think of him as disreputable at all Audrey. He was a homosexual at a time when it was illegal and controversial to acknowledge same-sex love but that does not make him disreputable. It was his arrest, trial and imprisonment which was disreputable. Otherwise, he led the unconventional life of an artist and aesthete trying to change the prim and proper society of his time. Maybe the morality of the tale comes from regret that he reportedly felt for putting his lifestyle on the line when he ill advisedly sued the Marquess of Queensberry.

He recycled many of the witticisms he was famous for and they are repeated in several of his plays, as well as in DG.

Don't get me wrong, Madge, I'm not judging him. I'm saying he seemed to walk a much finer line in life than the black and white morality he seems to be advocating in DG.

Just to be clear, I totally also agree that his trial and imprisonment were unjust!

Re: Oscar Wilde's morality - I have not read Dorian Grey for about thirty years, but when I read it, it disturbed me enormously. I wanted to rush out and give away all my earthly goods and live the life of an ascetic; I was "filled with disgust for the things of this world." Naturally, I got over that, didn't actually give everything away, but the lingering effect was profound. I haven't quite had the courage to read it again.
Anyone who reads Wilde's Fairy Tales, especially The Happy Prince, will realize that he has an incredible innate moral sense and a sense of justice and kindness seemingly unusual for his time. He must have been a lovely person. I adore him and consider him a martyr to prudery.

I agree Joanna. And The Happy Prince is a lovely tale about justice and kindness which I bought for my own children. He was supposedly a very good father before he was separated from his children by the scandal.

There is much about the Aesthetic Movement then which chimes with many of the feelings within the 'green' movement today I think. The use of natural materials in furniture and furnishings for instance. The 'Flower people' of the 1960s were perhaps the Aesthetes of today.

Read at another level, Dorian can be seen as an innocent who is corrupted by the decadence around him, just as we are corrupted by the abundance around us, sucked into consumerism, drowned by metaphorical oil spills.... It could be read as a plea for a simpler, purer life.

Madge, I'm seeing it along the same lines as you when you say that "Dorian can be seen as an innocent who is corrupted by the decadence around him . . ." It seems that Lord Henry, in particular, is all too willing to have some kind of influence on the younger Dorian's thinking and lifestyle. Audrey, I loved your labeling of Lord Henry as reptile!

By the way, I think I have a fairly old version. It is leather bound, and published by Boni and Liveright, Inc., with no date of publication or printing. I saw on Amazon.com where an identical looking book (although hard bound) is being sold with an asking price of $999. (Sheesh!) I don't think mine is worth that much because the condition is so-so, but I dare say it's worth more than the 50 cents I paid for it at a yard sale.

According to the write-up on Amazon.com, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was the first book that Boni and Liveright published as part of "The Modern Library of the World's Best Books." B & L began publishing in 1917.

Ooh, you should get it valued Kay:)

What a great yard sale find, Kay!
As much as I still think Lord Henry is a reptile, as I kept reading, I began to enjoy the terrible things he says. I think there might be some truth to his assertion in the middle of chapter 4 that "the basis of optimism is sheer terror," and that we prefer to think of people as good and to interpret their actions in the best light because we're a bit afraid to think of them as otherwise.