The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Original en 78505 words First published 1890 United Kingdom

Oscar Wilde's only novel, 1890 — the scandalous fable of beauty and corruption. Handsome young Dorian Gray has his portrait painted and wishes the picture would age in his place; his wish is granted. As he descends into a hidden life of vice, the painted face grows old and cruel while his own stays perfect — until the night he looks at what he has become. Witty, poisonous and full of the epigrams that made Wilde famous, it is his most sustained meditation on art, sin and the price of the aesthetic life.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

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