Dorian Gray's Definition of A Book

While reading Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray for my English 313 class, I noticed that the character Dorian Gray suggests a non-conventional definition of "book." Throughout the novel, Dorian Gray is haunted by a portrait that has been painted of him and that seems to change according to how much he sins. The portrait version of Dorian Gray grows old, grotesque, and sinister, while the "real" Dorian Gray remains youthful, handsome, and pure - if only in appearance - after his repeated sinful acts. On page 185 of the book, Dorian Gray says, "'I keep a diary of my life from day to day, and it never leaves the room in which it is written.'" Although it seems that he is talking about a book, Dorian Gray is actually referencing the doomed portrait of him, which reflects his daily actions and activities. Dorian Gray's speaking of a portrait as if it were a book (a "diary") is very interesting, since, in this class, we are striving to consider alternative and varied definitions of "book."