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The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin authentic texts)
by: Oscar Wilde

Used Price: $3.71
Third Party New Price: $24.69

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780140813333
ISBN: 0140813330
Label: Penguin Books Ltd
Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 1991-12
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Sales Rank: 6023376
Studio: Penguin Books Ltd

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Part of the 'Penguin Authentic Texts' series of books that examine English language fiction, focusing on literature and language in literature. This book includes notes on language to help clarify text for both native and non-native readers of English. On its publication in 1891, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' was widely condemned for its immorality as, of course, was its author Oscar Wilde. And yet, this novel is an almost moral tale, depicting the spiritual and physical decay of a young man devoted to aestheticism.

Amazon.com Review:
A lush, cautionary tale of a life of vileness and deception or a loving portrait of the aesthetic impulse run rampant? Why not both? After Basil Hallward paints a beautiful, young man's portrait, his subject's frivolous wish that the picture change and he remain the same comes true. Dorian Gray's picture grows aged and corrupt while he continues to appear fresh and innocent. After he kills a young woman, 'as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife,' Dorian Gray is surprised to find no difference in his vision or surroundings. 'The roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden.'

As Hallward tries to make sense of his creation, his epigram-happy friend Lord Henry Wotton encourages Dorian in his sensual quest with any number of Wildean paradoxes, including the delightful 'When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy.' But despite its many languorous pleasures, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an imperfect work. Compared to the two (voyeuristic) older men, Dorian is a bore, and his search for ever new sensations far less fun than the novel's drawing-room discussions. Even more oddly, the moral message of the novel contradicts many of Wilde's supposed aims, not least 'no artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.' Nonetheless, the glamour boy gets his just deserts. And Wilde, defending Dorian Gray, had it both ways: 'All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment.'

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Decadent
I knew relatively little going into this book...and what little I did know was from less than 100% accurate retellings such as in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or references from cheesy shows or horror flicks (I think perhaps there was a reference in Scooby Doo somewhere?). I had the basic gist...there's a guy, Dorian Gray, who has some magical painting that ages while he stays young and wonderful forever. Not much to go on, but I was still excited to read it. I was pleasantly surprised that the book had much more depth to it.

Plot
The plot is intriguing and has been used in other stories, though I think this one has more depth than I've seen before. Essentially, Dorian makes a wish that he will be forever as pristine as the painting made of him and that instead the painting will take on it the toils of his life. Whatever supernatural forces allow this to happen are irrelevant...the ... Read More

Rating:

- Birdmonkeygirl
This was a rather difficult book to get through. Lots of old English and lots of footnotes describing what the words or phrases meant. I struggled through about 3/4 of the book, but then it picked up and I managed to get it read. In the end, it was worth the time and effort but does take some patience to get through. Not for everyone.

Rating:

- classic
a classic literary staple of the modern world! a must read for any intellectual. every sentence is brimming with stimulating ideas and paradoxes.

Rating:

- "Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter"-Oscar Wilde
Basil Hallward is an artist, who paints a portrait of Dorian Gray, a very good looking and naïve young man. The portrait is a masterpiece that in reality depicts Basil's feelings for Dorian, as well as, Dorian's youth and beauty.
Lord Henry Wotton, a seductive emotional predator and selfish pleasure seeker, is a friend of Basil who meets Dorian at Basil's house and gives him a philosophical speech about the fading nature of youth and beauty. Dorian whose greatest qualities are his youth and beauty pledges his soul to stay young and beautiful. As part of the deal Dorian Gray's portrait becomes the surrogate for the disgrace and aging of the real Dorian Gray.
Under the growing influence of Lord Henry over Dorian, the later embraces Hedonism and increasingly sinks into a sinful corrupt life and shows no regard for values or morals. A tragic event caused by Dorian's behaviors starts the projection of Dorian's ... Read More

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