WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Fifty Shades of Dorian Gray -- A Modern Classic Mashup

It's Weird Wednesday, which means that I'll be reviewing a book that is...well... weird. It's not exactly a mainstream hit, but is an interesting read nonetheless. 

With the craze that swept the literary world, Fifty Shades of Grey and its sequels have taken the breath away from many a woman. Many writers have jumped on the bandwagon and have put their own spin on the concept of "soccer mom erotica". Nicole Audrey Spector created a mash up of a classic controversial novel and the modern fascination of Fifty Shades...

Fifty Shades of Dorian Gray by Nicole Audrey Spector is a fresh retelling of the Oscar Wilde novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray". The original novel caused quite the stir when it was first published in 1890, as it featured homosexual undertones and was considered too progressive for the Victorian era. Combined with the modern controversial Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, Dorian Gray gets a fresh new makeover.

Dorian Gray can be best described as a vain playboy with too much time on his hands as well as too much money. In the original novel, Dorian is the subject of a portrait being painted by a male artist, Basil Hallward. Hallward becomes enchanted and infatuated by Dorian's youthfulness and beauty. Hallward's friend Lord Henry Wotton, also becomes interested in Dorian and introduces him to much debauchery and impulsive pleasures. Wotton expresses the view that the only thing worth pursuing in life is beauty and the indulgences of the senses. Dorian is entranced by this suggestion, but soon becomes depressed with the realization that he will one day age and die. Vanity is the main theme of the original novel, as Dorian's greatest fear becomes age and growing ugly. It becomes an obsession. He desires to sell his soul in order to remain eternally youthful and beautiful. This wish is granted and Dorian ceases the age. Instead, his portrait of himself takes on the abuses and ravages of age. Whatever physically happens to Dorian, happens to the portrait. For example, if Dorian is hurt, the picture reflects the injury. The picture reflects the true age and decay of the flamboyant prettyboy. As long as the portrait is kept intact and out of view, Dorian will remain forever young.

In Fifty Shades of Dorian Gray, Dorian is still the same character as depicted in the Oscar Wilde original. He is a rather careless, cruel, selfish man who only cares for his own pleasures. The painter is changed to a female character, who becomes the tragic love interest of Mr.Gray. Lord Wotton's character is also changed to be female,  but still encompasses the hedonistic traits of the original character. True to the Fifty Shades form, there are quite a few raunchy scenes involving many of the characters. Many of these steamy scenes are surprisingly tastefully written and the reader forgets that they are supposedly reading a revamped trashy romance novel that's been combined with Victorian Literature. Some parts are actually humorous as well as absurd. But that's the magic of the mash-up.

The changes that Nicole Audrey Spector makes to the original story are refreshing. It's interesting to see a well-known literary character such as Dorain Gray take on different situations that couldn't be published in 1809. At the same time, Ms. Spector keeps true to the original character and has written him as Oscar Wilde had. Dorian is the same man, only transported to an alternate universe of the original novel.

I'll be honest. I picked this book up because I was mildly amused by the title. I am a fan of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I am not a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey. But a combination of the two titles? Why not give it a try? I was interested in discovering how the two worlds would collide. The book itself was a quick read, but an entertaining one and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of either original title.

Fifty Shades of Dorian Gray by Nicole Audrey Spector is available on BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com, as well as retail booksellers. It is available on the Nook, Kindle, and audiobook.