Sep 18, 2007

Knitting Dreams and Dorian Gray

My computer is down because we are transferring from one computer to another so I have no pictures at all. But I did get to the LYS for some more Malabrigo Lace and found two beautiful colors, one for me and one for that project. I even took pictures to share. Maybe tonight.

While I slept, I had a delightfully detailed and long-lasting dream about knitting with one of those hanks. I worked on it for a couple of inches and had fun, easily working the lace. Then later I did a few pattern repeats and I even remember the feel of the yarn in my fingers. That was one clear dream. When I woke up I was actually surprised when I came out to the living room and there it was, still in the hank. Weird.

I finished Oscar Wilde's "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The introduction actually warned us that it wasn't very good and that this work might only appeal to the young and easily impressed. While I wasn't exactly enamored of this book, it was engaging and witty as Oscar Wilde can be. I especially like his play, "An Ideal Husband" which was made into a movie a few years back. Rupert Everett was a genius as that dialog. But I digress. I think this book might have arisen out of the overly moral and preachy literature so prevalent at the time. I have no evidence, but I have read of bit of that moral writing and I notice a similarity of theme and tone, although "Dorian" has of course turned it all up on its end. Specifically, the values of society and individuals are questioned and found wanting. They are revealed as trite and silly and ultimately self-serving. Many of those values, however, were not really bad...they were simply shrouded in Wilde's own dark fabric and seemed to be so. I liked it, really. I know Donna has read it and encouraged me to go through with it. Have YOU read it? Were you a youngster?

3 comments:

Olga said...

arg. Blogger won't let me comment!!!! one more time.... I glanced at the book at the library and thought I ought to give it a go, I think I ought to actually read these books instead of reading just the back covers!

Laura said...

I read it years ago - more than 20 years ago, so I was still in my 20's. Does that count as a youngster?

Donna Boucher said...

For me the main point of the book was that there are dire consequences to loving self and beauty above all else.

I liked that Dorian did not 'get away' with acting so horridly.

Like so many people do nowadays!