Friday, October 09, 2009

Dorian's Picture

Book club met last night to discuss THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.

Can anyone tell me the significance in titling it "The Picture..." instead of "The Portrait..."?

Anyhoo, a few of my favorite witticisms from the book:

A conversational exchange regarding an American woman engaged to an English acquaintance:

“Is she pretty?”

“She behaves as if she was beautiful. Most American women do. It is the secret of their charm.”

“Why can’t these American women stay in their own country? They are always telling us that it is the Paradise for women.”

“It is. That is the reason why, like Eve, they are so excessively anxious to get out of it.”

In complaining when reasonableness is brought up in a disagreement (a bit representative of the "discussions" of today, eh?):

“How dreadful! I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.”

After bargaining for a purchase:

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Outraged when accused of being a sceptic:

“Never! Scepticism is the beginning of Faith.”

Next month, Raymond Chandler. An English Gothic thriller followed by an American noir thriller. Should be fun.

Just my thoughts,

Sean

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