I must admit at the outset of this review, that I haven’t read the original Picture of Dorian Gray.
I had see a twist on the story in the excellent Penny Dreadful series, which I feel led nicely into Elle Grenier’s remix of the story with This Wretched Beauty.
The nuts and bolts of the story remain, but this is very much rooted within a queer space, which you could argue Dorian Gray always was.
We follow Dorian, who struggles with his relationship with his less-than-paternal grandfather and his absent parents whilst navigating a chance encounter with artist Basil, which changes his destiny forever.
What is interesting about This Wretched Beauty is the confidence that Grenier has in playing with the material but also looking to make this as something quite unique. My nearest comparison would be some of Christina Henry’s riffs on Sleepy Hollow (Horseman) and Peter Pan (Lost Boy), where the material is familiar enough but also feels like it’s taking chances and is all the better for it.
This was a fascinating read, just don’t expect a rehash of The Picture of Dorian Gray or you will be sorely disappointed.
This Wretched Beauty by Elle Grenier is now available in various formats from Titan Books.
