Цитаты из книги «The Picture of Dorian Gray»

There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral – immoral from the scientific point of view."

Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.

"Knowledge would be fatal. It is the uncertainty that charms one. A mist makes things wonderful."

Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I think not. It is merely a method by which we can multiply our personalities.

The basis of optimism is sheer terror

Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes."

Examinations, sir, are pure humbug from beginning to end. If a man is a gentleman, he knows quite enough, and if he is not a gentleman, whatever he knows is bad for him."

"I am not laughing, Dorian; at least I am not laughing at you. But you should not say the greatest romance of your life. You should say the first romance of your life. You will always be loved, and you will always be in love with love. A is the privilege of people who have nothing to do. That is the one use of the idle classes of a country. Don't be afraid. There are exquisite things in store for you. This is merely the beginning."

With an evening coat and a white tie, as you told me once, anybody, even a stockbroker, can gain a reputation for being civilised

there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about