The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Paula Hammond, Kevin Hopgood (Illustrator), Oscar Wilde

‘I believe the only way to live, is to be true to oneself. The only way to get rid of temptation is to give into it.’ Young, rich and handsome, Dorian Gray seems to have it all. So why do people who were once his friends leave the room when he enters? Can there really be any truth in the dark tales that are told about him? And why does he keep his portrait locked away in an attic room? Two men hold the answer to Dorian’s secret. One is the artist, Basil Hallward, who paints Dorian’s portrait. The other is Lord Henry Wotton, who convinces the impressionable Dorian that youth and pleasure are the only things worth living for. Is Dorian Gray really as innocent as he seems? Can love and friendship save him from himself? Or will the secret of the picture of Dorian Gray be a secret he takes to his grave?

Real Reads are accessible texts designed to support the literacy development of primary and lower secondary age children while introducing them to the riches of our international literary heritage. Each book is a retelling of a work of great literature from one of the world’s greatest cultures, fitted into a 64-page book, making classic stories, dramas and histories available to intelligent young readers as a bridge to the full texts, to language students wanting access to other cultures, and to adult readers who are unlikely ever to read the original versions.

64 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2014

About the author

Paula Hammond is a professional writer & artist based in Wales. She has been published by Abyss & Apex, Third Flatiron, and Air & Nothingness Press, amongst others. Her fiction has been nominated for the Eugie Award, the Pushcart Prize, and a BSFA award. Her greatest joy is discovering the things that can be found in the strange, the weird, and the neglected corners of the world. She reads too much, sleeps too little, and firmly believes everything can go in a sandwich.

Reviews

[Tiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini merupakan versi singkat dari novel aslinya yang diceritakan ulang dan dilengkapi dengan ilustrasi.
Bercerita tentang Dorian Gray, seorang lelaki tampan yang kaya dan naif. Terlalu mudah dipengaruhi oleh Lord Henry.

Cara penyampaiannya bagus dan mudah dimengerti. Selain itu, dilengkapi juga dengan ilustrasi yang sangat membantu pembaca–paling tidak aku–untuk berimajinasi!

Buku ini terdiri dari 64 halaman yang bisa dihabiskan dalam sekali duduk.
Pemilihan kata dalam bahasa Inggrisnya cukup mudah untuk dipahami oleh pembaca pemula sepertiku.

Salah satu kutipan menarik yang ada pada buku ini,
"Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing."

Aku cukup tertarik dengan karakter yang dimiliki oleh Dorian. Apakah Dorian benar sepolos itu? Atau? Ya, silakan dibaca.
Diam-diam aku memupuk rasa penasaran dan ingin segera membaca versi novelnya.

[Zahra Ramadhanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's good about this version is that the story is simplified but I still can get the plot and the moral value. There are many drawings that'll help you visualize the story. If you really want to read the story but find it too hard to read the original version, I think you better read this version. As an English learner, it's quite easy to understand the language. This book really convinces me to read the full story.