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The Picture of Dorian Gray

By Oscar Wilde
Penguin Classics
Series: The Penguin English Library
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde explores the intriguing story of a young man named Dorian Gray, whose portrait ages and bears the consequences of his indulgent lifestyle while he remains youthful and untainted. The novel delves into themes of hedonism, aestheticism, and moral duplicity, offering a fascinating examination of the nature of beauty and corruption.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by themes of vanity, moral ambiguity, and the pursuit of eternal youth. Oscar Wilde weaves a tale of art, hedonism, and the complex nature of the soul, making it perfect for those who appreciate rich prose and philosophical reflection. Set against a backdrop of Victorian society, it offers a timeless exploration of beauty and corruption.

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Tells the story of Dorian Gray, a beautiful yet corrupt man. When he wishes that a perfect portrait of himself would bear the signs of ageing in his place, the picture becomes his hideous secret, as it follows Dorian's own downward spiral into cruelty and depravity.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The new paperback series - Penguin English Library

The Penguin English Library Edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

'I am jealous of everything whose beauty does not die. I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me ... Why did you paint it? It will mock me some day - mock me horribly!'

A story of evil, debauchery, and scandal, Oscar Wilde's only novel tells of Dorian Gray, a beautiful yet corrupt man. When he wishes that a perfect portrait of himself would bear the signs of ageing in his place, the picture becomes his hideous secret, as it follows Dorian's own downward spiral into cruelty and depravity. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a masterpiece of the evil in men's hearts, and is as controversial and alluring as Wilde himself.

The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Series: The Penguin English Library

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Picture of Dorian Gray is often praised for its exploration of themes such as beauty, morality, and the consequences of self-indulgence. Reviewers highlight Wilde's sharp wit and eloquent prose, noting the novel's provocative questioning of societal norms and the nature of the human soul. Criticism sometimes focuses on its darker, more hedonistic elements, but many readers appreciate its profound impact on literature and enduring relevance.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141199498

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 June 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 11.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 181g

Pages: 256

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction Most Popular Books of All Time New Release Fiction New Zealand's Best Selling Books Oscar Wilde Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction Series: The Penguin English Library

About the Author

Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland in 1854 and educated in Dublin and Oxford. He became the leading exponent of aestheticism and a famous wit, intellectual and raconteur. He wrote children's stories, poetry, philosophical essays and several hugely popular plays, but The Picture of Dorian Gray was his only novel. The book was a succ s de scandale, and later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895, when he was tried and imprisoned for homosexual acts. Wilde died in 1900 in exile in Paris.

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