In a London studio the painter Basil Hallward completes a portrait of Dorian Gray, a young man of extraordinary beauty whom he idolises. Basil's friend Lord Henry Wotton, a languid aristocrat with a talent for scandalous epigrams, tells Dorian that youth is the only thing worth having. Seized by the thought of growing old, Dorian wishes the picture could age instead of him.
The wish seems to come true. As Dorian follows Lord Henry's philosophy of pleasure and new sensations, his face remains unlined while the canvas, locked away in an old schoolroom, begins to change with every cruel act. His romance with a young actress, Sibyl Vane, is the first sign of what he is becoming, and rumours of his corrupting influence spread through London society.
First published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890 and expanded as a book the following year, the novel was attacked as immoral and later used against Wilde at his trials. It combines Gothic fable with sparkling dialogue and explores aestheticism, vanity, hidden lives and the relationship between art and morality.
Book details
| Author | Oscar Wilde |
|---|---|
| First published | 1890 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Classic |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 254 |
| Setting | London, late 19th century |
Themes
- Vanity
- Aestheticism
- Corruption
- Double life
- Art and morality
Who should read it
Readers who enjoy witty dialogue and Gothic morality tales about beauty, influence and secret sin.
If you liked this, try
- The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
- Dracula
- Frankenstein