For many years, Dorian Gray could not stop reading the yellow book. He bought nine copies of the book from Paris. He had them covered in different colors to match his moods. Dorian Gray felt that the story of the book was the story of his own life.
The hero of the book was a young man who became old and ugly. Dorian Gray was more lucky than the hero. He never lost his beauty. He looked at his face in the mirror and felt a cruel joy. He was still young and handsome, even when he did bad things.
People in London told many evil stories about Dorian Gray. There were many rumours (stories that people tell that might not be true) about his life. But when people saw him, they did not believe the stories. His face looked too pure and innocent. He looked like the world could not touch him.
Sometimes Dorian Gray stayed away from home for a long time. When he returned, he went to the locked room. He stood in front of the portrait with a mirror. He looked at the evil face in the painting and then at his own face in the mirror. He loved his beauty and he was interested in his ugly soul.
Dorian Gray examined the wrinkles on the painting’s forehead. He looked at the heavy, cruel mouth on the canvas. He put his white hands next to the fat, ugly hands in the picture. He smiled and mocked the failing body in the painting. He was happy that he stayed young.
Dorian Gray was a leader in London society. Twice a month, he opened his beautiful house to the world. He invited famous musicians to play. His dinners were perfect because the flowers and the gold plates were beautiful. Young men copied Dorian Gray’s clothes and his walk.
Life was like an art to Dorian Gray. He wanted to enjoy every moment and every feeling. He thought people were too afraid of their senses. He wanted to start a new way of living. He wanted to find beauty in everything he did.
Dorian Gray began to study perfumes (liquids with a sweet smell). He learned how to make scented oils. He wanted to know how smells changed the mind. He learned that some smells made people feel sad, and others made people feel brave.
Later, Dorian Gray studied music. He collected strange instruments from all over the world. He had drums made of snake skin and flutes made of human bones. The strange and loud music made him feel excited. He liked the loud sounds more than the beautiful music of famous composers.
Dorian Gray also loved jewels. He once went to a party in a dress with five hundred pearls. He collected green stones and red stones. He read stories about magical gems. He read that some stones could make a man invisible or cure a sick person.
He also collected tapestries (large cloths with pictures sewn on them) and embroideries (cloth with patterns made of thread). He loved the rich colors of the old fabrics. He felt sad that these beautiful things became old and ruined. But he was happy because his own face was still young.
Dorian Gray loved the clothes of the church too. He had large chests full of old silk and gold thread. He loved the red and green colors of the priest’s robes. He thought about the secret stories of the men and women who wore them.
Dorian Gray used all these beautiful things to forget his fear. He was afraid of the portrait in the locked room. Sometimes he forgot about it for weeks. He felt happy and young. But then, he would suddenly leave a party and go to dangerous places near the docks.
When Dorian Gray came home, he sat in front of the picture. He hated himself, but he also felt proud. He was happy that the painting had to carry his shame. He stayed in England because he was afraid to leave the picture alone. He was afraid someone might find his secret.
Sometimes Dorian Gray was at his large country house with many guests. He would suddenly feel a great terror. He would leave his friends and rush back to London. He wanted to check that the door was still locked. He was afraid that someone would steal the painting.
Many people began to distrust Dorian Gray. One day, a group of men walked out of a club because he entered. People whispered about him in corners. They said he was friends with thieves and sailors. They said he was a dangerous man.
Women who once loved Dorian Gray now looked at him with horror. But many people still wanted to be his friend because he was very rich. In London, people forgive a man if he is rich and has a good cook. They thought his good manners were more important than his soul.
Dorian Gray did not care about the opinions of others. He looked at the portraits of his ancestors (the people in your family who lived a long time ago). He wondered if their sins were in his blood. He looked at the picture of his mother and saw his own beauty in her eyes.
He felt that the lives of evil kings and queens from history were his own lives. He read about a duke who killed his wife with poison. He read about a king who hunted living men with dogs. He felt that he knew all these people in his heart.
Dorian Gray was poisoned by the yellow book. He thought that evil was just another way to find beauty. He spent his life looking for new things to see and feel. He did not care if they were good or bad.