Howdy! I don’t know about you guys but the sun has finally (emphasis on the FREAKIN’ FINALLY) broken out from its clouded prison in England. Summer has at last arrived and I don’t know what to do with myself! I’m running around all excitedly like a little kid. What should I do first? I must take advantage of this rare occasion! Should I soak up the sun with my friends and party into the late evenings? Take a day trip to somewhere outside BECAUSE I CAN!? It’s too much for my brain to process. Of course, there is one thing I will be doing out in the sun. Can you guess?
Can you?
Can you?
…..
You can can’t you?
READDDDDIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG! 😀
Which is why this fun little challenge is so well timed! I have teamed up with two other lovely bloggers Charl from Miscrawl and Lindsay at Bookbundle. The two of them were talking about the difficulties of tackling a classic as well as questioning how many people bother to read them these days. This sparked the idea that we could help each other out. Attempting a classic can be daunting. All those long sentences, unusual words and old style language can be tough on the brain! I noticed they had both agreed on attempting The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, a lightbulb went on in my head because OOOH, I OWN THAT BOOK TOO. Several of my friends have insisted I read it, along with many bloggers too. I have seen the film adaption and wasn’t that impressed, but I could tell while watching it how much potential it had in book form, so I hope I won’t be disappointed!
As I’m sure many of you know the story follows a young man named Dorian who is reasonably good natured and innocent (I think) until an artist paints his portrait. He begins lamenting about his youth and how while he will grow old the painting will remain the same. Then he makes a flippant remark that will change his life forever.
It’s going to be so fun to compare notes with other bloggers as I read! I can’t wait to nerd out with them or complain and moan depending on how much I enjoy the book. 😛 It will be even more interesting if our opinions differ. We will be doing three check-in’s throughout where we’ll each come up with our own set of questions based on our thoughts on the book. We will then compare by putting them together on one blog post so we may see some very contrasting opinions! I will be hosting the first check-in at the end of chapter six, then Lindsay will be coming up with her questions for the group after finishing chapter twelve and lastly Charl will host that last check in after the book has been completed. The read-along is starting today on the 1st of July, so hopefully I can get a bit of Dorian reading in while basking in the sunshine. 😀
We are all new to this read-athon malarkey so apologies in advance for any kinks or issues along the way. And of course if you wish, feel free to join in the fun!
I even made a fun little banner thing! So dorkishly proud of how I found a chipped paint option, because relevance. 😀
P.S. I keep getting confused, what is the difference between the spelling GRAY and GREY?!?!! They’re both colours right?? This is confusing me muchly. Is it just the stupid English language at work again?
P.P.S. Charl and Lindsay, feel free to use the banner as well if you want to. 🙂
Image Sources:
My own, feel free to reuse. 🙂
Blogs-Of-A-Bookaholic 
Sounds like a virtual-book club blast. 🙂
I liked it for the most part, and I didn’t think the latest film version was that bad either. Can’t help you with the gray-grey thing. 🙂 I always spell it the second way. Victorian usage, maybe?
Hahaa it is a bit, I’ve never been to a book club, but this is hopefully going to be a lot of fun! 🙂
I think the fact I disliked Colin Firth as a bad guy in the film didn’t help. 😦 He’s too nice to be bad! Lol. I know right? Me too! That’s why it’s so irritating because I keep wanting to spell it ‘grey’ but the book is spelt gray. Gah!
Ooooh, I just found this: http://grammarist.com/spelling/gray-grey/
Cool! Everyone else spells it consistently apart from the Americans. Awkward sods. 🙂
Hahaa! They do like to be different. 😛
Gray vs grey is just them bloody Americans being awkward and driving on the wrong side of the road again.
I’m very uncouth so I hadn’t heard of this Dorian Gray book before. I’m also going to be stuck in an air conditioned building all day at work, so luxuries such as read-a-alongs are well out of my reach. It’s hard enough trying to sneak in the occasional live stream of Wimbledon without getting caught sitting out on the roof in my pants whilst in the middle of an Oscar Wilde epic.
Whenever it comes to sitting outside in the sun, I always recommend stepping into a bikini first. Print out that banner of yours and you even have something to shelter under.
Phaaaa, they can’t do anything right can they? Spelling colour wrong etc! 😛 I have to admit though, I prefer the phrase sidewalk to pavement, and I prefer mail to post. :L Also I’ve just found this: http://grammarist.com/spelling/gray-grey/ so it seems you is right. Go Michael! 🙂 Also, have you realised your initial are MC? As in MC hammer? DO YOU OWN THE TROUSERS?!?!?!
Haha that’s okay, I think I saw a redo of it on the TV series Goosebumbs when I was younger so I knew of it from quite young. Eugh air conditioned office buildings, not nice. 😦 You poor thing.
LOOOOL, you’re too funny!!!
One of mates’ initials are DJ, so you can imagine the hilarity that ensues whenever we get together.
You’ll be pleased to know that I did actually own a pair of baggy jeans many years ago. I was too chicken to try the dance, though.
Hehee, poor guy. I still think your initials are funnier though!
I am very pleased to know indeed that you have not denied your heritage. I can so picture you trying out the dance, getting your foot caught in the baggy trousers and falling into a table. In the nicest way possible of course. 🙂
Isn’t your book Shades of G-r-e-y Mr Cargill? Did you rename it for those dam’ yankees? I can’t complain about yanks that much. I married one. 🙂
*Can’t touch this* Now you’ve got me doing it. Hammer time!
When I chose that name, I was actually chasing an American gray squirrel at the time.
No way am I putting up with any Yanky nonsense in my gaff.
Hahaa you guys are always so hilarious!!! Are you doing the dance too Tony, or just the singing? 😛 It’s stuck in my head now too!
I hear those Yankees aren’t that bad, they just need to get their spelling right. 😉
Sounds like fun Becky, and I’m so glad the sun has finally escaped its prison! What should you do (besides reading of course)? Why you should do everything of course!!!! Have fun :).
Hehee me too! I was starting to think it would never happen! You kept talking about all the lovely weather you were getting on your blog and I just kept looking out the window feeling like I wanted to bang my head against the wall, LOL.
Thanks Cindy. 😀
Don’t bang your head against a wall silly – that might hurt :).
Oh you legend! You’ve just summed everything up nicely and I am LOVING the banner. Will definitely be using it.
Just about to take the cellophane off my copy of Dorian (eek I know, big step for me.)
Let’s do this!
Hehee, ta muchly. 🙂 Glad you liked the post. I wrote it at about 2am last night after reading Lindsay’s, LOL.
OOOOOOH, shit just got real. 😉 I know how you love your beautiful books to be protected in cellophane.
Hope you enjoy!
I didn’t even know the movie was based on a book.
Looking forward to your review.
Yepp, it is indeed. These movie producers are sneaky aren’t they? Stealing everyone else’s ideas. 😛
Thanks El Guapo, hope it won’t disappoint. 🙂
I read an abridged version of this book when I was younger. You just reminded me I need to find the complete one. 🙂
Also, I recommend watching The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in which Dorian Gray plays a part. It’s pretty fantastic. =D
There’s an abridged version? That’s surprising, it’s only about 200 pages anyway, lol!
Oooh it’s so funny you mention that, I re-watched it recently and couldn’t believe it when Dorian and Mina were in it!!! It was one of my favourite films when I was younger but I didn’t get most of the references. So it was only when I re-watched it last year that I realised they were all various literary figures! So awesome and I agree, the film is fantastic. 😀
Gray is used in the US. Grey is UK English – I think. In other words, it is the stupid English language at work. 😉
Ahhh, I thought it might be something like that. 😉 Silly English language! It does like to confuse me so, my spelling is pretty bad anyway so I find it extremely confusing and it often makes me double guess myself!
I had to read this for A-Level english lit 🙂 can’t wait to hear what you think!
Wow I bet that must have been fun! I’m only on page 10 and it’s already packed to the brim with social commentary that you could have a weeks worth of debate on it already!
Thanks Sophie, I hope I end up liking it as much as you do. 🙂
I know, it’s absolutely full of it! No worries 🙂 Enjoy. x
I keep meaning to read this, I may have to read along with you 🙂 I think I have the book, now I need to find it!!
Same here, it’s one of those books that I’ve felt the need to read for quite a while, which is why this read-along is so great because it’s finally pushed me to pick it up. 🙂
I hope you find your copy!
HELLO! (It’s been a while since I’ve been on your blog so I’m a bit excited to be back aha!) Like I wrote on Charl’s blog, I’m so gutted to have not be proactive enough to join in with the read-along. I really wanted to. But alas, I have started another book now and I’m not very good when it comes to reading 2 books at once… Good luck with the read-along, I hope you have as much fun as it sounds! Oh and how exciting is it that the sun has finally decided to make an appearance here in England! Summer is here! Fingers crossed it stays…
Hello, hello! Well I’m very glad to hear that you’re excited to be back! 😀
Yeah it would have been awesome if you could of joined in too, but sometimes life just conspires against you, lol! Ohh well, maybe they’ll be a next time read-along depending on how this one goes. 🙂
Ohh cool which book are you reading? When I was younger I used to read about six books at once because it would depend on my mood which I felt like picking up, but now my maximum is three especially now I review books, otherwise my thoughts get all muddled!
Thank you. 🙂 Yeahhhhhh, it’s so awesome! Although it seems to be clouding up again today….grr.
Haha let’s hope this one goes well so I can join in with the next one! Or I might just have to organise one myself… (Hint!)
At the moment I’m reading The Rosie Project. It’s taking me aaaages! I’m sure a review will follow once I finish it!
Heheeeee. 🙂
Ohh right yeah, I remember you saying about taking it to Wimbledon, looking forward to reading your review!
Now why didn’t I think of this? A virtual book club of sorts. This would so help with my lack of discipline.
Pity I already read Dorian Gray. I wish you were reading Ivanhoe for this read-a-along because honestly, it’s an exciting story, but the language is driving me batty. Even the translated version of Chaucer wasn’t this bad…
Hahaa it’s definitely helping with mine! Everyone else is reading this book so quickly that I’m having to pick up the pace!
Yikes, that sounds painful, lol! I hope it’s worth it for the good story. 🙂 I’ve heard of Chaucer’s reputation of being almost unreadable due the the ye olde English so I can only imagine what Ivanhoe is like.
I loved this book! Although I also loved the film so I don’t know if that’s much help. I think I could use a read-along for The Count of Monte Cristo which has moved from my shelf to my bedside table but is still only 20 pages in. It’s not even dull or difficult to read I just can’t make myself do it!
Glad to hear you felt so passionately about it! I didn’t dislike the film exactly, I guess I just thought it could have been better in some aspects, I think Colin Firth playing a bad guy also freaked me out, lol. 😛
Oooh yeah that’s definitely a good book to do a readalong for because it’s so freakin’ long! I don’t have a clue what it’s about, but I’ve heard the family tree for it is intense.
Hmm, despite the jolly Yank bashing I’ve enjoyed the lively discussion. Check out this website ad it gives some marvelous insights about the book and Wilde. http://classiclit.about.com/od/pictureofdoriangray/fr/aa_dorian.htm
I didn’t know there was a more current film out– definitely will check it out!
What’s Yank bashing…? I’ve never heard that phrase before!
I’m glad you enjoyed the discussions. 🙂 Thank you for the website link I will definitely check that out. I love finding out more of the context around a book and usually spend a lot of time researching around it, so this may be interesting. 🙂
I hope you enjoy the film!
Yank bashing is my term for when Brits pick on Americans about our spelling, culture, and the like. It’s all good fun, after all, we are otherwise so alike except for our spelling, culture, and the like 🙂
Ha ha ohh right I see! It is quite funny how some of the words differ only slightly. I prefer some of the American terms actually, sidewalk is much cooler than pavement for example. 🙂 The spelling changes always really confuse me though because the documents we write on here are always set to ‘English American’ so it becomes very confusing, lol!