The Picture of Dorian Gray (Collins Classics)

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Collins Classics) is gothic fiction written by Oscar Wilde. The story begins on sunny day when Lord Wotton, a man of strong views observes an artist, Basil Hallward, painting the picture of a good looking young man named Dorian Gray. Lord Wotton tells Dorian that beauty is the only and ultimate virtue and as time passes by, he hopes that Dorian’s portrait ages instead of him. Dorian worries that he will not remain as beautiful as he is forever. He decides to barter his soul in return for eternal youth and beauty and wants his portrait to age instead of him.

After this, Dorian lives a life of debauchery. The aging of his portrait shows the effect of each sin that he commits on his soul. The first time he realizes that he would not age is when he breaks the heart of a loving girl, Sibyl. On returning home, he sees a slight change in the portrait and understands that his wish has been fulfilled. for the next eighteen years, he goes on a journey filled with lust, until he understands the futility of it and begins to despise himself. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Collins Classics) was published by Harper Press in 2010 and is available in paperback.

Key Features

• Before its first publication, the editors in 1890 felt The Picture of Dorian Gray was indecent and five hundred words were removed from it without Wilde’s knowledge.
• The book has been adapted into an audio drama entitled Confessions of Dorian Gray and was adapted into many films.

About the Author
Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer and poet born in 1854. He was known for his one-liners and dark sense of humor. He first studied at the famous Trinity College in Dublin and then at Oxford. His parents were influential Dublin intellectuals. He toured USA and Canada and lectured about the renaissance of British Art. In 1890, he wrote his only novel the Picture of Dorian Gray. In 1891, he wrote the famous tragic French play Salome which was denied permission to be staged in Britain. In 1895, he wrote the Importance of Being Earnest which is considered to be a masterpiece. He died in 1900.