The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Original 1890 Edition

by Oscar Wilde

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde tells the story of a young man, Dorian Gray, whose beauty captivates artist Basil Hallward. When Dorian's portrait is painted, he wishes that he could remain forever young while the painting ages in his place. His wish comes true, leading him down a path of hedonism and moral decay. As Dorian indulges in a life of excess and vice, the portrait reflects the consequences of his actions, becoming a grotesque representation of his corrupted soul. Wilde’s novel explores themes of aestheticism, the nature of beauty, and the duality of human nature, ultimately questioning the cost of living a life devoid of moral responsibility.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2024

About the author

Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.

Reviews

[Colleen Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIP Dorian Grey you would’ve loved retinol and anti-aging straws 😔

[Beth Paddon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book so much but chapter 10 was so fucking boring what were you doing Oscar Wilde?? Also the random antisemitism?? If he didn’t die in 1900 he’d have been #cancelled

This book was so good tho

Justice for Basil

[ᴬᵈᵃ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because they didnt even kiss💔 lord henry needs to stfu

[Grace Kiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some things I didn’t enjoy about reading this book, though admittedly I believe they were things that were not meant to be appealing. Often I hated the way Lord Henry spoke. I think he was meant to be sort of unlikable in a way. I thought the story overall was very interesting. Sometimes the descriptions bored me a little. But I thought it really picked up toward the end. I definitely think it’s worth the read.

[𝚡𝚇.𝙲𝚕𝚘.𝚇𝚡 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is a haunting and beautifully crafted gothic tale that explores the darker sides of beauty and desire. From the moment you begin, Wilde’s elegant prose pulls you into a world where charm masks unsettling secrets, and every choice carries weight beyond what meets the eye.

This novel strikes a perfect balance between eerie atmosphere and deep philosophical questions about youth, morality, and identity. The characters feel vivid and real, caught in a web of temptation and consequence that feels as relevant now as it was when first published.

Set against the decadent backdrop of Victorian London, the story’s gothic mood seeps into every page, wrapping you in mystery and intrigue without ever losing its emotional core.

Wilde’s sharp wit and poetic style make this a timeless classic that is both captivating and thought-provoking. For anyone drawn to gothic literature with substance and style, this is a must-read — easily deserving a full 5 stars.

[Shonie Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time faves <3