#hallward

[brutalistinteriors]

Hallward Library, University of Nottingham. UK. Harry Faulkner-Brown.

[moorhsnoom]

One day I will make merch based on my characters... One day...

[gingerbreadbooks2020]

Bookbler post #42

Hi there! Sorry I’ve been a little inactive recently, but I’m back to reading The Picture of Dorian Gray!

[Image desc: Left image: Cover of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Covering the top 3/4 of the page is a painting of a man in a white suit with a deep red tie, leaning against a mid-high wall with columns. The bottom half is black, featuring the author’s name in orange above the book title in white.

Right image: The Picture of Dorian Gray opened at Chapter XIV, with the beginning of the chapter in view. These images are my own.]

Today I read from Chapter XII through Chapter XIV. I suppose this is a formal spoiler warning for those who haven’t read the book yet. I’ll be discussing the events quite directly so please be warned. I’d still implore you to read it if you enjoy older works, I have really enjoyed Wilde’s writing style and I’m sure many others do, and will, too.

A lot of the book so far has been about Dorian living a flamboyant lifestyle, hinting at acts of ‘sin’, a lifestyle which people of his class would look down upon. However in these two chapters the pace changed a little, and in interesting and unexpected twist happened.

We finally meet Basil Hallward again, and, to my surprise, Dorian invites him to see the painting; the painting which has change with age and sin in place of Dorian. I suppse it was surprising because Gray had taken such great measures to ensure the light of day didn’t see this painting, however in hindsight it seems right that one takes the creator of such an image to show the unnatural changes to it. 

Seeing Hallward’s reaction to the painting was interesting. The reader is exposed to and learns of the changes as Dorian does; it’s strange, intersting, and a little exciting at first I think, but as the book goes on, we become used to the fact that changes are occuring to the painting in place of to Dorian and simply find interest in what changes occur. Hallward isn’t just reacting to the fact that the painting has changed - which is of course a strange and shocking event, truly confusing - but also the horrific changes which have taken place, taking it in all at once as opposed to the gradual exposure we, the readers, and Dorian have had.

Here’s another spoiler warning just in case! 

What came as even more of a surprise was when Dorian murdered Basil Hallward. Again, looking back it makes sense for Dorian to do such a thing; Basil created a painting which has become so grotesque, become the bane of Dorian’s life, it’s understable - almost -why Dorian does it. There’s the added fact that Basil’s lips might not be sealed and it would be sandalous - if that’s the right word? -  for such a thing to get out. Even though why it took place is understandable, it’s still really shocking to read. Yes, Dorian is a man who does things which are ‘unspeakable’ or ‘sinful’, but throughout the book, not once did he seem like the person who would do such a thing. And maybe that’s the point, that this painting drove him to such insanity that he did such a thing. Even looking back on it, it doesn’t seem right.

I’m very excited to see what happens next!

Sorry again for being so inactively recently, I hope you all are staying safe and well!

- Gingerbread ♤

[proustiansleep]

Almost every aspect of Deleuze's philosophy is caught up with the consequences of this initial correlation of being, creativity and thought. Roughly speaking, it implies: (a) that all existent things or processes exist in just one way, as so many distinct acts of creation or so many individual creatings; (b) that these creatings are themselves aspects of a limitless and consequently singular creative power, a power that is most adequately expressed in the medium of pure thought; (c) that every creating gives rise to a derivative creature or created thing, whose own power or creativity is limited by its material organisation, its situation, its actual capacities and relations with other creatures, and so on; (d) that the main task facing any such creature is to loosen and then dissolve these limitations in order to become a more adequate or immaterial vehicle for that virtual creating which alone individuates it. In other words, the main task facing a creature capable of thought is to learn how to think. In the process, our task is nothing less than to develop mechanisms 'that liberate man from the plane or level that is proper to him, in order to make him a creator, adequate to the whole movement of creation' (B, Ill). Deleuze's fundamental idea, in short, is that if being is creativity, it can only fully become so through the tendential evacuation of all actual or creaturely mediation

Peter Hallward, Out of this World : Deleuze and the Philosophy of Creation

[festeringfae]

I can’t fucking believe that instead of either one of them being homophobic, Rob James-Collier and Charlie Cox apparently spent the pilot of Downton Abbey in an unspoken blood pact that said pilot was dog shite but they were going to force as much gay content past the untalented Tory showrunner as possible.

[festeringfae]

A mix for Thomas Barrow, and the angry fans who love him.

1. You Oughta Know --- The Killing Moon

2. Black Sheep -- The Clash At Demonhead

3. There Are Worse Things I Could Do -- Bobby Conte Thornton

4. High By the Beach -- Lana del Rey

5. Call Your Girlfriend -- Barcelona

6. Maybe This Time -- Jonathan Hawkins

7. No Place In Heaven -- Mika

8. I Did Something Bad -- Cynthia Erivo & Shoshana Bean

9. Could I Leave You -- Chris Moore

10. I’d Rather Be Me -- Barrett Wilbert Weed

11. No Tears Left To Cry -- Ariana Grande

https://8tracks.com/festeringfae/thomas-barrow

[festeringfae]

hallward replied to your post: I was about to be like UM CAST ME and then I...

Omfg this is the most beautiful post I’ve ever read on this cursed website

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[festeringfae]

I was about to be like UM CAST ME and then I realized it would be Rob James-Collier circa Downton Series 1.

So between period aesthetics, hair like ink, skin like new sketch paper Vibes RJC is perfect and I stand by my initial assessment; however Thomas’ posture is too rigid and RJC as himself is too fluid, and in both cases the eyes are too sly. Your eyes are very wide, expressive, and careful. Your kinesthetic energy is also very careful, but unlike Thomas’ you’re not clamping anything down, you’re just making sure the floor boards don’t creak. I kept thinking of period actors (Ben Whishaw) because you’re very literary, like dudes who could be vampires, but their eyes tended to be Wrong. Alec Lightwood circa Shadowhunters is the same vibe Eye wise and movement wise, but the movement is a taaaaaad to consciously restrained. Then, out of FUCKING NOWHERE, I realized the perfect vibe match if I wanted to portray you on film is actually??? Adam Brody??? Go figure, and congrats on a vibe that’s very unique! Edit: FUCK! Danny Pudi would be perfect, too! I think the issue here is that period drama white gay men are often very Languid or Rigid because of white British entitlement/being rich as fuck their whole lives, so the energy is more resentful than yours is. Jim Stirguss circa Across the Universe’s eyes are perfect, although I don’t think he’s dandyish enough or careful enough. More gentle boys with eye pools that are warm, not cool, media. Lots of dandy’s have eyes like mint and refreshing streams.Your eyes, Alan, are a warm bath in winter.