Further thoughts on Oscar Wilde

Part of this new reading system involves studying reviews, essays, and criticism on a book to gain further understanding of the text.
OMG literary analysis! I agree that a lot of it is superfluous (one that I ran across is called "AESTHETICISM, HOMOEROTICISM, AND CHRISTIAN GUILT IN THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY: A DARWINIAN CRITIQUE") but learning about the dominant philosophies of the time and biographical background of the author really *DO* add context to and make the book so much more interesting. For example, The Picture of Dorian Grey took on a whole new meaning when I learned that if Oscar Wilde were alive today, he'd probably be a NAMBLA member. The Dorians, an ancient Greek tribe, had a very common cultural practice of man-boy love.

In no way does this diminish the pleasure from the book, unless it's taught badly (and in a high school English class, OMG this is usually the case!). What I usually do is read it through once with no thinking, just for the pleasure of the read, then analyze afterwards. The only problem with this method is some literary devices, like foreshadowing, are lost on me!
I think a great author will make a book that is very ripe with room for analysis but at the same time is fun to read on the surface. The "surface" things, like plot, character, dialogue, etc., are important in any book, even a dime novel, and if a book hasn't mastered those then it shouldn't try to do analytical stuff or philosophical exposition.

Wilde was a member of the "fin de siecle" late Victorian school of aesthetic philosophy knows as Aestheticism. Basically they thought that art should have NO purpose; no hidden meanings, no political messages, just the beauty to be contemplated. Even things like morals do not belong in a work of art.

"#4. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.......
#15. All art is at once surface and symbol.
#16. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.
#17. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril."
(from the preface to Picture of Dorian Grey )
I interpret this to mean that any sort of symbolism in art only brings out the ugly meanings; therefore, people who look for these ugly meanings are not contemplating art properly.

Yet the novel itself contradicts this theme. The main character (Dorian) sees only beauty and does not consider ethical meanings; he has made a Faustian (use that word if you want to sound smart) pact with the devil.
Is Dorian supposed to be considered an example for how to live life? He may have committed murder but he was outwardly liked for his charm and youthful beauty.
Or maybe I am not supposed to be analyzing the novel, since it is a work of art.

A very unorthodox interpretation of the novel can be found here; I'm not sure what to think of it.

"Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps." -Oscar Wilde, in a letter

Links:
Interesting survey of criticism on Wilde
Some interesting info about how he related to the public