The Picture of Dorian Gray

I am currently reading the book The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde for my AP Lit class. At first I had thought that it was going to be boring and depressing, despite it's interesting plot, but I have been interested since page one! The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a guy (named Dorian Gray, duh!) who is beautiful and somewhat vain and terrified of losing his beauty as he grows old. So he sells his soul so that instead of aging himself, a portrait of himself that he keeps hidden away ages and grows older and more hideous year by year. The novel explores a lot of different ideas like aestheticism and hedonism as well an underlying homosexuality (Oscar Wilde was imprisoned and charged for homosexual acts and had to feel to America). I've read plays by Oscar Wilde before and this is his only novel and as of right now I am completely thrilled with it. I think what I like most about it is the tone. The way Wilde words things is that the imagery is very beautiful and serene however there is a kind of creepiness and darkness behind it all. As if everything were not really as it it seems. Although this is required reading for school, I really do think this book is very intriguing, well-written and a good read overall.