The Picture Of Dorian Gray

In some ways prefiguring the dramas in its creator's life, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fictional model of the moral ... (more)

In some ways prefiguring the dramas in its creator's life, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fictional model of the moral contradictions pervading late Victorian society. Oscar Wilde's Faustian tale of a beautiful young man trading his soul for the promise of eternal youth sparked controversy upon its appearance in 1890, a decade in which Wilde experienced the heights and depths of notoriety as society's wit and dandy, as its chief spokesman for the aesthetic "art for art's sake" movement, and ultimately as its embittered and destitute outcast. In The Picture of Dorian Gray: "What the World Thinks Me", Michael Patrick Gillespie contributes a penetrating analysis to Wildean studies, a volume at once accessible to students and valuable to scholars. Taking up "The Extratextual Milieu", Gillespie delineates the historical and literary contexts in which Dorian Gray appeared and traces the critical reception to it; offering close "Readings and Rereadings", he examines elements of imagination, ethics, aesthetics, and sensuality in the work. He further demonstrates that the narrative's appeal to a multitude of viewpoints allows for broad interpretations of the novel, prompting critics to see in it a range of authorial concerns and visions. Written with care, thoroughness, and grace, The Picture of Dorian Gray: "What the World Thinks Me" will be welcomed by students, librarians, and scholars. Enhancing the study's usefulness are a chronology of Wilde's life and works, a bibliography, and notes and references. (less)

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An exquisitely beautiful young man in Victorian England retains his youthful and innocent appearance over the years whil... (more)

An exquisitely beautiful young man in Victorian England retains his youthful and innocent appearance over the years while his portrait reflects both his age and evil soul as he pursues a life of decadence and corruption. Illustrated sidebar notes provide historical background to the text. (less)

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An incredibly handsome young man in Victorian England retains his youthful appearance over the years while his portrait ... (more)

An incredibly handsome young man in Victorian England retains his youthful appearance over the years while his portrait reflects both his age and evil soul as he pursues a life of decadence and corruption. (less)

A remarkably handsome youth, Dorian Gray, meets Lord Henry Wotton and is corrupted into a life of terrible evil. Granted... (more)

A remarkably handsome youth, Dorian Gray, meets Lord Henry Wotton and is corrupted into a life of terrible evil. Granted eternal youth, Dorian Gray lives a wild, dissipated life while his portrait grows old and haggard. Oscar Wilde's story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is one of his most popular works. Written in Wilde's characteristically dazzling manner, full of stinging epigrams and shrewd observations, the tale of Dorian Gray's moral disintegration caused something of a scandal when it first appeared in 1890. Wilde was attacked for his decadence and corrupting influence, and a few years later the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde's homosexual liaisons, trials that resulted in his imprisonment. Of the book's value as autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps." (less)

A young man's quest for eternal youth and beauty ends in scandal, depravity and death. Enthralled by his own exquisite p... (more)

A young man's quest for eternal youth and beauty ends in scandal, depravity and death. Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray 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 decadence. The picture of Dorian Gray was a succes de scandale. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins, and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at his trial at the Old Bailey in 1895. This definitive edition includes a selection of contemporary reviews condemning the novel's immorality, and the introduction to the first Penguin Classics edition by Peter Ackroyd. (less)

Novel tells of a man-Dorian, of a painting by artist Basil. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated... (more)

Novel tells of a man-Dorian, of a painting by artist Basil. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him. Dorian meets Lord Henry, and becomes enthralled by Henry's world view. (less)

Literature GuidesCreated by Harvard students for students everywhere, SparkNotes is a new breed of study guide: smarter,... (more)

Literature GuidesCreated by Harvard students for students everywhere, SparkNotes is a new breed of study guide: smarter, better, faster. Geared to what today's students need to know, SparkNotes provides: *Chapter-by-chapter analysis*Explanations of key themes, motifs, and symbols*A review quiz and essay topicsLively and accessible, these guides are perfect for late-night studying and writing papers. (less)

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Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as its importance and critical recep... (more)

Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author. (less)

Oscar Wilde's only published full-length novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is the story of a man who sells his soul to ... (more)

Oscar Wilde's only published full-length novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth. As Basil Hallward, an aspiring artist, puts a few touches on a portrait of his handsome young friend Dorian Gray, Gray wishes that the portrait might grow old while he remains forever young. While Dorian Gray spends his life pursuing fresh experiences and new sensations, his looks do not change. However, the portrait, secretly hidden in the attic of his residence and with which he has grown increasingly obsessed, does. More And more, as Dorian struggles to hide his true identity, the portrait reveals his progressive pathway to dissolution. Born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College, Oscar Wilde distinguished himself throughout his entire academic career. As a student at the University of Oxford, he excelled in classics and wrote poetry, earning the Newdigate Prize for his poem "Ravenna" in 1878. At Oxford, Wilde cultivated the eccentric style for which he later became famous. (less)

Dorian Gray, a handsome and narcissistic young man, lives thoughtlessly for his own pleasure--an attitude encouraged by ... (more)

Dorian Gray, a handsome and narcissistic young man, lives thoughtlessly for his own pleasure--an attitude encouraged by the company he keeps. One day, after having his portrait painted, Dorian makes a frivolous Faustian wish: that he should always remain as young and beautiful as he is in that painting, while the portrait grows old in his stead. The wish comes true, and Dorian soon finds that none of his wicked actions have visible consequences. Realizing that he will appear fresh and unspoiled no matter what kind of life he lives, Dorian becomes increasingly corrupt, unchecked by public opinion. Only the portrait grows degenerate and ugly, a powerful symbol of Dorian's internal ruin. Wilde's dreamlike exploration of life without limits scandalized its late-Victorian audience and has haunted readers' imaginations for more than a hundred years. (less)

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story of love, murder, thwarted revenge, and finally, justice. As Dorian Gray remains yo... (more)

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story of love, murder, thwarted revenge, and finally, justice. As Dorian Gray remains young and handsome, his pact with the devil allows his portrait to reflect the degradation of his many sins. (less)

Based on Oscar Wilde's compelling supernatural fable of morality vs. mortality, The Picture of Dorian Gray stars Shane B... (more)

Based on Oscar Wilde's compelling supernatural fable of morality vs. mortality, The Picture of Dorian Gray stars Shane Briant as a young English aristocrat who sinks into a world of self-indulgence, until he notices that his portrait ages and takes on the hideous features of his sinful ways. Ultimately, Dorian Gray realizes he has lost possession of his soul. (less)