About this title: Oscar Wilde's classic work is about a man who sells his soul for eternal youth: only his portrait ages, while he remains forever handsome and young. Wilde's allegory, first published in 1890, provides an interesting take on the Faust myth and also a probing examination of human values. Wilde himself described it as the story of "an idea that is ...
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9781853260155ISBN:1853260150
Description: Acceptable. EXCELLENT value for money and ready for dispatch. Delivery usually within 3/5 days. Our reputation is built on our Speedy Delivery Service and our Customer Service Team. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9781853260155ISBN:1853260150
Description: Fine. AS NEW BOOK WITH MISSING TITLE PAGE-COVER WITH LIGHT DAMAGE-COMPLETELY UNREAD-EXCELLENT CONDITION-READ ONCE CAREFULLY-TRUSTED DEVON (UK) BASED SELLER-IN STOCK-SENT WITHIN 1 WORKING DAY-AVAILABLE BY EMAIL FOR QUERIES-NO QUIBBLE REFUND IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED- read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Modern Classics
Date Published: 1949
ISBN-13:9780140006162ISBN:0140006168
Description: Very Good. No major defects-unabridged, clean, complete, not falling apart; some light wear. A perfectly good reading or reference copy. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks
Date Published: 1982
ISBN-13:9780192815538ISBN:0192815539
Description: Very Good. No major defects-unabridged, clean, complete, not falling apart; some light wear. A perfectly good reading or reference copy. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9781853268366ISBN:1853268364
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9781853260155ISBN:1853260150
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780140620337ISBN:0140620338
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
"Do not waste your time with this one. Here's the story. Dorian Gray is an attractive young man not yet twenty. His close friend paints his portrait and being coerced that right is wrong and wrong is right by Lord Henry Wotton, the true villain of the story, he wishes that the painting would grow old while he, Dorian, remains young. And this is what happens. The more sinful and awful Dorian is, the uglier becomes the painting while he remains perpetually youthful and beautiful. Finally deciding he wants to change, in an attempt to destroy the painting, he kills himself. End of story. My goodness but wasn't Mr. Wilde is love with his own use of words, his own story-telling, his own intellect. He can't simply say the sun comes up, he has to take two pages describing all the sunrises since the beginning of time. He can't say Dorian loved jewels and tapestries and clothing, no, he has to describe this king's robe and that lord's attire for page after page. It is beyond boring. And what is with constantly having to say Dorian Grey thinks this, Dorian Gray does that? It's irritating and purposeless; there aren't other Dorian's in the story from whom he needs to be distinguished. Lord Wotton is the most verbose character I've ever run across and I hope to never read his like again. I suspect he must be Wilde's voice as he has ridiculous and cruel opinions about simply everything and they aren't clever or witty, they're damaging and harmful to Dorian, from the first time they meet. His influence over an impressionable young man is the only real horror of the tale. That someone could think so little of corrupting someone beautiful and pure is sad and disgusting. I'm not sure what Wilde was trying to say with that. There is not the first thing scary in the entirety of this thing. What's more, this is a horror classic and the only truly horrifying thing is that I took the time to read it.
(Reading challenge - 0 pts - read a horror classic"
"This book may have somewhat of a slow start; however, it is worth reading. There lies within a deeper "moral story" for each of us, who dare to finish this one! An interesting story line, which I have never seen duplicated."
Dorian Gray is an irresistibly handsome (and utterly selfish) socialite concerned with superficialities of the ego: appearance, beauty, passion, youth and image. One day, after his artist friend paints his picture, Gray expresses his desire to remain as young and handsome as he is in the portrait, and for the portrait to instead be the one to age. His wish is realized. As Gray enters deeper into a life of sin and crime, he remains young and physically unaffected, while his portrait grows older and uglier, reflecting the evil nature of his soul.
I found this concept fascinating in and of itself, but also for the questions it raises about what truly defines beauty, how our actions affect not only who we are but the lives of others, the weight of our transgressions on the soul, and how or if we can redeem ourselves.
I do wish Wilde had stayed a bit more focused on the above and less on some of the elitist-type social discussions between characters. The book is at times (in my opinion) a bit over-dramatic and heavy in many somewhat pompous dialogues, particularly Chapter 11. Though, I guess this is not surprising, as the The Picture of Dorian Gray is Wilde's only novel, and he is of course known for his plays (which require drama and heavy dialogue). I didn't love this book as much as the first time I read it, but I did enjoy revisiting it again. Overall, definitely worth the time!"
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