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The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

by Oscar Wilde

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
39,22262855 (4)15 / 1364
A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.
  1. 290
    The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (chrisharpe)
  2. 180
    The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (sturlington, Morteana)
    sturlington: Read Oscar Wilde at his finest.
    Morteana: Dorian Grey is Wilde in his darkest of moods, but Earnest is one of his lightest.
  3. 160
    The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings [Bantam Classics] by Edgar Allan Poe (WSB7)
  4. 92
    Death in Venice by Thomas Mann (roby72)
  5. 60
    Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans (roby72, Zeeko, JuliaMaria)
    JuliaMaria: Wie in Wikipedia zu 'Gegen den Strich' beschrieben: "Ein französischer Roman, der den Protagonisten in Oscar Wildes Roman Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray zu dekadenten Ausschweifungen inspiriert, wird häufig als Anspielung auf À rebours gedeutet. Wilde war - wie auch Stéphane Mallarmé - ein Bewunderer des Romans."… (more)
  6. 94
    Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (spiphany)
  7. 40
    The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde by Neil McKenna (unknown_zoso05)
    unknown_zoso05: McKenna touches upon what influenced Wilde to write "The Picture of Dorian Gray".
  8. 62
    The Stranger by Albert Camus (SanctiSpiritus)
  9. 41
    Oscar Wilde: A Certain Genius by Barbara Belford (veracity)
    veracity: Belford discusses both editions of Dorian Gray.
  10. 20
    The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill (OneMorePage)
  11. 10
    Lucio's Confession by Mário de Sá-Carneiro (mysimas)
  12. 10
    A fehér tigris by Ervin Lázár (Lucy_Skywalker)
  13. 10
    A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka (vincenttran)
  14. 00
    Picture of Evil by Graham Masterton (Scottneumann)
  15. 00
    The Magic Skin by Honoré de Balzac (Lapsus_Linguae)
    Lapsus_Linguae: Both novels use fantastic elements and focus on the depiction of moral degradation of the main heroes.
  16. 00
    Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (TheLittlePhrase)
  17. 00
    Shadow Dance by Angela Carter (rbtanger)
  18. 12
    Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello (SandSing7)
  19. 01
    Aubrey Beardsley Drawings by Aubrey Beardsley (SnootyBaronet)
  20. 12
    Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf (Anonymous user)

(see all 23 recommendations)

1890s (1)
Read (38)
AP Lit (52)
100 (19)
Romans (26)
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Group TopicMessagesLast Message 
 Fine Press Forum: Lyra's Books- The Picture of Dorian Gray589 unread / 589supercell, January 2023
 Fine Press Forum: Amaranthine Books — The Picture of Dorian Gray71 unread / 71Shadekeep, May 2022
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Influence6 unread / 6cpg, March 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Discussion topics?43 unread / 43LoisB, March 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Favorite one-liners?25 unread / 25dltucker, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: The Ending19 unread / 19LenitaSheridan, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Dorian = Faust?3 unread / 3TheoClarke, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: First impressions58 unread / 58Devanna, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Homoerotic subtext20 unread / 20LolaWalser, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: How does Dorian stack up against Wilde's other work?5 unread / 5LenitaSheridan, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Characters6 unread / 6musecure, February 2014
 One LibraryThing, One Book: Dorian Gray: Links2 unread / 2lorannen, February 2014
 Book talk: The only novel of Oscar Wilde deserves your attention!1 unread / 1leccol, October 2013
 1001 Books to read before you die: 1001 Group Read: October, 2011: The Picture of Dorian Gray10 unread / 10dste, October 2011
 The Green Dragon: BOOK DISCUSSION: The Picture of Dorian Gray Caution Contains Spoilers14 unread / 14MrAndrew, October 2009

» See also 1364 mentions

English (571)  Spanish (20)  French (10)  Italian (4)  Swedish (3)  Catalan (3)  Portuguese (Portugal) (2)  German (2)  Norwegian (1)  Arabic (1)  Hungarian (1)  Finnish (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (620)
Showing 1-5 of 571 (next | show all)
Book source ~ Purchased audiobook on Chirp

A vain young man named Dorian Gray allows himself to be manipulated into selling his soul so he could stay young and beautiful no matter what he did over the course of his life.

Wow. What a pompous and pretentious piece of shit this is. Dorian is a vain twit easily led around by the nose by Sir Henry. Speaking of Sir Henry, holy shit does that guy love the sound of his own voice or what? Poor Basil is the only likeable character and look what happened to him at the end. Ugh. What a colossal waste of my time. But at least I can mark another classic off my list. Ok, I don’t really have a “list” per se, but you get the idea. The narrator does a decent job though I found he sometimes had the wrong “voice” for certain characters. ( )
  AVoraciousReader | Mar 14, 2024 |
I appreciate this book, I think it is very interesting and worth reading - I just don't like it. Dorian is a horrible, horrible human being, but his friends are not much better, a group of spoiled, bored people interested only in their own entertainment. I like Oscar Wilde's plays, but this book is not for me. ( )
  Donderowicz | Mar 12, 2024 |
Loved it! Henry got a bit too wordy at times, but Dorian was fun. ( )
  Linyarai | Mar 6, 2024 |
One of the most beautifully written novels I've ever laid my eyes upon. The author manages to explore the themes of sin, pleasure, morality and beauty through the meticulously crafted characters and their actions. Rather ironically, the storyline is quite simple in contrast with the complexities, paradoxes and philosophies which the readers are forced to take into consideration of some serious pondering. There are way too many iconic quotes but one of my absolute favorite is the one that goes against the whole point of this review; “to define is to limit.” Definitely a highly recommended read from me. ( )
  buddhawithan.n | Feb 29, 2024 |
This book is funny, witty with a dark and profound twist. It was erroneously placed on my dusty list of important (boring) classics to read with lots of coffee.
The book really picks up about halfway and the plot becomes absolutely captivating. Once you reach that point, you realize that this book is so much more than what pop culture has made of the story. The character of Dorian Grey is rich and complex and brings you with him on a journey to examine your own soul, your “sins”, your choices and deepest motivations. The book asks tough questions: what is it to be good? ( )
  Bloum | Feb 23, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 571 (next | show all)
Mr. Oscar Wilde has again been writing stuff that were better unwritten...
added by vibesandall | editThe Scots Observer (Jul 5, 1890)
 
one element ... which will taint every young mind that comes in contact with it.
added by vibesandall | editDaily Chronicle (Jun 30, 1890)
 

» Add other authors (38 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Wilde, Oscarprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Ackroyd, PeterIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Allen, JerryIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Amante, MarcoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Amberg, BillCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Arnold, HansCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Baeza, RicardoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Baldinucci, LoredanaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Batchelor, PeterNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Baud, ElisabethTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Beardsley, AubreyIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Beattie, SusanEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Beraud, JeanCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bickford-Smith, CoralieCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bini, BenedettaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bollinger, MaxIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Borger, AstridTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brassinga, AnnekeTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Breitkreuz, MeikeTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bristow, JosephEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brodzky, HoraceIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Busby, BrianIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Busi, AldoPrefacesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bustelo, GabrielaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Callow, SimonIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Calzini, RaffaeleTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cardona Castro, Francisco LuisForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cauti, CamilleEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Chichester Clark, EmmaIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Corcos, LucilleIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Corot, Jean-Baptiste-Camill…Cover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Corvisieri, EnricoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Crevier, RichardTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Crossley, StevenNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Culbard, IanIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cyrino, FabioEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
D'Amico, MasolinoIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davis, Robert GorhamIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dettore, UgoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Donaldson, AllanIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Drew, John M LIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Drewsen, StenTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Etienne, MichelTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Eugenides, JeffreyIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Faulkner, PeterEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fehr, BernhardIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Feldmanowa, MariaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ferrucci, FrancoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Flores, EnriqueIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fry, StephenNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gattégno, JeanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gaulke, JohannesTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gómez de la Serna, JulioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Glasauer, WilliIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Goettems, DorisTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grazzi, EmanueleTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Greenstein, DavidIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gullvåg, HåkonIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hanft, Joshua E.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Harness, PeterAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Heuvelmans, TonAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hoeppener, ChristineTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hoog, ElseTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Horstmann, UlrichNachwortsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Στεφανοπού… ΤίναTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jones, GarethDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Joyce, JamesContributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kaila, KaiTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
König, Eva-MariaEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Keeling, CecilCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Keen, HenryIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kenny, JohnIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kosztolányi, DezsőTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kvam, RagnarTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Larios, JordiTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Laurent, AlbertoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
López Muñoz, José LuisTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Leite, JanuárioTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Magrinya, LuisForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
MajeskaIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mann, DavidIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Manso, LeoIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Marcos, PabloIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Marenco, FrancoIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Martín Gaite, CarmenForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mathias, RobertCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Maurois, AndréIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Míguez, Manuel FranciscoEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mendes, OscarTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mighall, RobertIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Milanese, CesareIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Moffatt, JohnReadersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Montazzoli, PaulIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Moretzsohn, José Eduardo RibeiroTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mortier, DanielForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Moyes, LizCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Murray, Isobel M.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nagy, AndrasEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Naugrette, Jean-PierreIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Novák, Jiří ZdeněkTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nuis, AadAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Oehlschlägel, BernhardTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Orta Manzano, MarianoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Page, MichaelNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pearce, JosephEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Petherbridge, EdwardNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Petrie, KateNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Piglia, PaolaIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pire, Lucianasecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Planta, Anna vonTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Podwil, JeromeCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Prebble, SimonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Raby, PeterAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Reed, JeremyIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rein, IngridTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ross, TonyIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sander, ErnstTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sandys, Anthony FrederickCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sardelli, GiuseppeTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Savine, AlbertTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schmidgall, GaryIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schuchart, MaxTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Selander, N.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sheen, MichaelNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shefter, HarryEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shi, YuanIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Silverstolpe, VeraTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Strange, DerekEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tasis, RafaelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Toledo, RubenIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Torreblanca, BeatrizTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tovey, RussellNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Trugo, LuiIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vanagienė, LilijaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Vance, SimonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Villena, Luis Antonio desecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Volkoff, VladimirTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Watkins, LiselotteCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Watkins, SethDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Weales, GeraldForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Welsh, IrvineIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
White, EdmundIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Winwar, FrancesIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wise, GregNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wolff, Lutz-W.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Zincone, GiulianoIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Zoozmann, RichardTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Blackbirds (1994.5)
Lanterne (L 186)

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The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amid the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink flowering thorn.
[Preface] The artist is the creator of beautiful things.
Quotations
'Your rank and wealth, Harry; my brains, such as they are—my art, whatever it may be worth; Dorian Gray's good looks—we shall all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly.'
'Harry,' said Basil Hallward, looking him straight in the face, 'every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul.'
He played with the idea and grew willful; tossed it into the air and transformed it; let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy and winged it with paradox. The praise of folly, as he went on, soared into a philosophy, and Philosophy herself became young, and catching the mad music of pleasure, wearing, one might fancy, her wine-stained robe and wreath of ivy, danced like a Bacchante over the hills of life, and mocked the slow Silenus for being sober. Facts fled before her like frightened forest things. Her white feet trod the huge press at which wise Omar sits, till the seething grape-juice rose round her bare limbs in waves of purple bubbles, or crawled in red foam over the vat's black, dripping, sloping sides. It was an extraordinary improvisation. He felt that the eyes of Dorian Gray were fixed on him, and the consciousness that amongst his audience there was one whose temperament he wished to fascinate seemed to give his wit keenness and to lend colour to his imagination. He was brilliant, fantastic, irresponsible. He charmed his listeners out of themselves, and they followed his pipe, laughing. Dorian Gray never took his gaze off him, but sat like one under a spell, smiles chasing each other over his lips and wonder growing grave in his darkening eyes.
Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.
The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
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This is the main work for The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Please do not combine with any adaptation, abridgement, etc.
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A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Wilde’s only novel, first published in 1890, is a brilliantly designed puzzle, intended to tease conventional minds with its exploration of the myriad interrelationships between art, life and consequence. From its provocative Preface, challenging the reader to belief in ‘art for art’s sake’, to its sensational conclusion, the story self-consciously experiments with the notion of sin as an element of design. Yet Wilde himself underestimated the consequences of his experiment, and its capacity to outrage the Victorian establishment. Its words returned to haunt him in his court appearances in 1895, and he later recalled the ‘note of doom’ which runs like ‘a purple thread’ through its carefully crafted prose.
Haiku summary
Miroir, oh, miroir.
Dis-moi qui est le plus beau!
Je sais le plus laid.
L'âme en ce portrait. Miroir d'hier et du jour. Choc et élégance.

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Penguin Australia

6 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141439572, 0141037687, 0141442468, 014119264X, 0143106147, 0141199490

Urban Romantics

2 editions of this book were published by Urban Romantics.

Editions: 1907832335, 1907832378

Tantor Media

An edition of this book was published by Tantor Media.

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Recorded Books

An edition of this book was published by Recorded Books.

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