The Picture of Dorian Gray
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First published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890 and expanded into book form in 1891, Oscar Wilde’s only novel tells the story of a young man whose extraordinary beauty becomes both his blessing and his undoing. After sitting for a portrait by the artist Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray wishes that he might remain forever young while the painting bears the marks of his age and experience. Under the influence of the seductive Lord Henry Wotton, he embraces a life devoted to pleasure, while the portrait becomes a hidden record of his increasingly troubled conscience. Wilde weaves together Gothic suspense and sparkling social dialogue to explore beauty, vanity, corruption and the divided nature of the self.
Controversial upon its appearance, The Picture of Dorian Gray became one of the defining novels of late Victorian literature, challenging the moral conventions of its time and giving provocative expression to Wilde’s belief in the autonomy of art. Its fascination lies in the tension between surface and substance: the immaculate face presented to the world, and the secret life concealed behind it. Rich in wit, atmosphere and psychological unease, the novel remains a compelling meditation on the price of pursuing beauty and pleasure without regard for their consequences.
From the book
“Youth smiles without any reason. It is one of its chiefest charms.”
— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
On The Picture of Dorian Gray
“He has given us a work of serious art, strong and fascinating, in spite of its blemishes.”
— The Speaker, 5 July 1890