The Picture of Dorian Gray

· Penguin UK
8 reviews
Ebook
304
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

'A triumph of execution ... one of the best narratives of the "double life" of a Victorian gentleman' Peter Ackroyd

Oscar Wilde's alluring novel of decadence and sin was a succès de scandale on publication. It follows Dorian Gray who, enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his depravity. This definitive edition includes a selection of contemporary reviews condemning the novel's immorality.

Edited with an Introduction and notes by ROBERT MIGHALL
'A triumph of execution ... one of the best narratives of the "double life" of a Victorian gentleman' Peter Ackroyd Oscar Wilde's alluring novel of decadence and sin was a succès de scandale on publication. It follows Dorian Gray who, enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, exchanges his soul ...

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Ratings and reviews

8 reviews
Devon Calhoun
January 17, 2026
⭐⭐⭐½ While this book didn’t completely captivate me, I still found it worth reading for its psychological depth and thematic weight. Not much happens in terms of external plot; instead, we’re immersed in Dorian’s inner world—his shifting mindset, his self‑absorption, and the philosophy he builds his life around. For me, Dorian ultimately reads as a narcissist. He begins as a naive young man who absorbs the vices, indulgences, and hedonistic ideals of others, weaving them into the moral fabric of his own identity. This borrowed worldview leads him into a profound identity crisis as he tries to live by values that were never truly his. Dorian is constantly praised for his beauty and youth, and he internalizes the idea that pleasure and aesthetic perfection are the highest forms of existence. Anything that contradicts this—aging, sorrow, grief, responsibility—he rejects entirely, even though these are natural parts of life. His refusal to accept them becomes the core of his downfall. Overall, the novel didn’t “wow” me, but its exploration of vanity, influence, and self‑deception made it a meaningful read.
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Joze
April 30, 2020
You got Dorian, his personality is inexistent. basil the painter, frail and always complaining. Henry who is too woke and bores you with his rambling. plot is an after thought. gained nothing from this. this book is praised because it's the first of it's kind for the Caucasian man. not because it deserves it.
1 person found this review helpful
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Joy Masilela
September 26, 2019
The book was the most boring thing I have ever read. I only finished it because I needed to.( school purposes ) Anyways...Trust you me watch the movie.
1 person found this review helpful
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About the author

Born in Ireland, Wilde (1854-1900) was educated in Dublin and Oxford and became the leading exponent of aestheticism. His work includes plays, a novel, poetry and criticism. Imprisoned for homosexual acts, he died after his release in exile in Paris.
Robert Mighall has written on Gothic fiction and is the editor of Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for Penguin Classics. Peter Ackroyd is a best-selling writer whose recent work includes biographies on Dickens and Blake.

Born in Ireland, Wilde (1854-1900) was educated in Dublin and Oxford and became the leading exponent of aestheticism. His work includes plays, a novel, poetry and criticism. Imprisoned for homosexual acts, he died after his release in exile in Paris. Robert Mighall has written on Gothic fiction a...

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