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.
Download and start listening now!
"I finished this book today, and I haven't the slightest clue why it took me so long to seek it out and read it. It is a classic Gothic horror tale of a man who values beauty and the material above matters of the soul and details the fallout of his making a sort of "Devil's bargain" to retain that beauty. It is delightfully chilling while at the same time alive with Wildean wit - the best sort of wit, you know."
— Kim (5 out of 5 stars)
“Simon Vance’s portrayal of each character is spot-on. His Lord Henry is casual, dismissive, and haughty. His Basil Hallward, the artist infatuated with Dorian, comes across as timid and pitiful but always endearing. Best of all, Vance’s Dorian Gray exudes youth and impetuousness at the beginning but quickly darkens once the character’s madness takes hold…Vance…finds the essence of each character, making Wilde’s work a delightfully creepy listen.”
— AudioFile“The book seems more modern than one would imagine. Rather than merely a potboiler from two centuries back, Wilde’s genius imbues the story with a strange and haunting immediacy, and a cautionary tale for us all: Be careful what you wish for.”
— Pittsburg Examiner“Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, seems—in an age devoted to youth—unsettlingly modern.”
— Kirkus Reviews“More than a century after its publication, Oscar Wilde’s novella The Picture of Dorian Gray is recognized as one of the classics of English literature, a masterpiece of fin-de-siècle aestheticism and in many respects a harbinger of the Modernist movement.”
— Brooke Allen, author of Twentieth-Century Attitudes" The creepy, sad, and heartbreaking tale of how a man's actions color and illustrate his soul. I would recommend it to most. "
— Kristy, 2/19/2014" Gran libro, mi hanno colpito specialmente i dialoghi, ti catturano in una maniera incredibile... "
— Luigi, 2/16/2014" Another from my well-read youth, this time prompted by a crush on Peter Firth, who played Dorian in a BBC adaptation. "
— Viv, 2/11/2014" It is very interesting and excellent book I heard about this book and I want to read this "
— Gia, 2/9/2014" I typically don't like reading older books, but this was pretty good. It still has a lot of seemingly superfluous information and dialogue, and could be hard to read at times, but the story itself is pretty interesting and says a lot about how we choose to live our lives. "
— Taylor, 2/9/2014" The descriptions, the language, the way to get you through the story make this book an absolute classic. "
— Juano, 2/9/2014" Not as exciting and interesting as I expected, but still very good. "
— Julia, 2/8/2014" One of my favourite books. Beautifully written and a very quotable piece of literature. "
— Bianca, 2/7/2014" Worth reading, although the plot can get dull at times. The thematic concepts in this book were fantastic. Would recommend with the asterisk that it may bore you. "
— Paul, 2/7/2014" This book does not need text reviews since everyone knows it, but I love it. I love every little intricate detail, and every intentional detail left out. "
— Pantslady, 2/5/2014" I enjoyed Sybil Vanes conversation with her brother James. "
— William, 2/3/2014Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was born in Dublin. He won scholarships to both Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1875, he began publishing poetry in literary magazines, and in 1878, he won the coveted Newdigate Prize for English poetry. He had a reputation as a flamboyant wit and man-about-town. After his marriage to Constance Lloyd in 1884, he tried to establish himself as a writer, but with little initial success. However, his three volumes of short fiction, The Happy Prince, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, and A House of Pomegranates, together with his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, gradually won him a reputation as a modern writer with an original talent. That reputation was confirmed and enhanced by the phenomenal success of his society comedies: Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest, all performed on London’s West End stage between 1892 and 1895. In 1895, he was convicted of engaging in homosexual acts, which were then illegal, and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor. He soon declared bankruptcy, and his property was auctioned off. In 1896, he lost legal custody of his children. When his mother died that same year, his wife Constance visited him at the jail to bring him the news. It was the last time they saw each other. In the years after his release, his health deteriorated. In November 1900, he died in Paris at the age of forty-six.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.