Synopses & Reviews
Published just before he reached the height of his fame, Wilde's only full-length novel has endured as surely as the great plays for which he is celebrated. By exploring the actions of a young man who makes a pact to retain his outward beauty at the expense of inward corruptionsymbolized in a portrait that ages as he remains unchangedWilde achieved a seminal novel that is part fable, part comedy of manners, and part treatise on the nature of art and beauty. As the figure in Dorian's portrait changes to reflect Dorian's inner decay, the stage is set for a masterful tale about appearance, reality, and the ultimate burden of conscience.
Review
"A heady late-Victorian tale of double-living, in which Dorian's fatal, corruptive influence over women and men alike is suggestively indistinct." Sarah Waters, author, Fingersmith
Review
"Every line that Wilde ever wrote affected me so enormously." Morrissey, musician
Synopsis
The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
About the Author
Oscar Wilde (18541900) was an Irish novelist, poet, author of short stories, and one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London.