The Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Short Stories (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

by Oscar Wilde (Author), Gary Schmidgall (Introduction) "THE studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came..." (more)
Key Phrases: beautiful white rose, little swallow, little dwarf, Lord Henry, Dorian Gray, Lord Arthur (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
"Oh! In what a wild hour of madness he had killed his friend! How ghastly the mere memory of the scene! He saw it all again. Each hideous detail came back to him with added horror. Out of the black cave of time, terrible and swathed in scarlet, rose the image of his sin." In their ideal of an exquisitely sensitive temperament that thrills to fine shadings in sensation, the principles of the aesthetic (or "decadent") movement are well suited to the tale of terror. No story exemplifies this better than Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. The sparkling wit and zest for life of Wilde's characters combine with cold-blooded acts of horror to generate a deliciously twisted sense of elegance and evil, civilization and degradation. Oscar Wilde, like Edgar Allan Poe, shows us that what we find loathsome and frightening can also be beautiful.

Product Description
The classic of gothic horror is accompanied by three short stories--""Lord Arthur Savile's Crime,"" ""The Happy Prince,"" and ""The Birthday of the Infanta""--and a new introduction by Gary Schmidgall, author of The Stranger Wilde.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics; Revised & Updated edition (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451526015
• ISBN-13: 978-0451526014
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #565,735 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular, May 1, 2005

By	Charlie Gordon "imsosooky" (27708) - See all my reviews

A wonderful blend of morality and wit, set in the background of beautiful phrasing and truly enjoyable descriptions.

This book is very clever because it starts you off on par with Dorian - the main character - who then has his youthful innocence. Bit by bit, you find yourself fully strung on by the book's manipulative character who lures you in to the concept that everlasting beauty is more important than a beautiful soul.

Though predictable, the understanding the author demonstrates for the boy's psychological qualms, which have direct parallels to our lives at present, makes this a spiritually moving read.

The wit and mode he uses to drive his message home are second to none.

Humorous, witty, insightful, and evocative, it's a must read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thinking about Dorian..., May 30, 2002

By	"amesf" (MI, USA) - See all my reviews

This is a book for the mind! Extremely philosophical, extremely thought provoking! One character in particular talked all in philosophy. There were things he said that would practically keep me up all night thinking. This book is also a good example of how a bad influence can turn a good person into a down right evil one. But the way Oscar Wilde chooses to portray that in the story is so creative. Also I didn't find this book to be as predictable as most tend to be. I thought the ending was especially unpredictable and creative. The only complaints I have are that in a couple parts it got a little bit slow and it was pretty morbid. I do like happy endings and this book traveled further and further from a happy ending with every page. I guess that's okay because the point Wilde was trying to make was not happy. So overall I rate this book high and recommend it to anyone interested!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "For Youth is the One Thing Worth Having", June 4, 2006

By	Kalie A. Gipson "Word" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June...If it were only the other way! If it where I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that-for that-I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my own soul for that!"

Meet Dorian Gray. He has the perfect look. He shines with such youth and beauty that he amazes everyone he comes in contact with. According to Lord Henry Wotton, however, he does not fully realize what he has. When their mutual friend, Basil Hallward, a painter, decides to paint a portrait of Dorian, he ends up capturing that youth and beauty almost perfectly in his painting. Dorian is mezmerized by it. After listening to Lord Henry's philosophy about how youth and good looks are more important than being good-hearted, Dorian claims he would do anything to let the picture grow old and decay, while he will stay young and beautiful for the rest of his life.

It is only a downward spiral for Dorian after that. He continues to believe in the ways of Lord Henry. His face remains perfect and unlined as he commits sin after sin. The only way anyone would have known Dorian's true colors would be to take a look at his portrait; for his face on the portrait would take on the age lines and the sinister look that Dorian truly should bare in the flesh. The sight of his picture horrifies Dorian so deeply that he locks it up, and would not let anyone look at it. Dorian himself is too afraid to look at it. However, this does not stop Dorian from listening to Lord Henry and believing the same way he does.

Overall, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a great novel. The wit, humor, horror, and philosophy all comes together to make this story exactly what the description of the book says: timeless. The philosophical views of Lord Henry alone will make you question your own outlook on life. The plot is somewhat predictable, and so is the ending, but this doesn't keep Oscar Wilde's only full-length novel from being a great read. Also included in this book are his short stories, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, The Happy Prince, and The Birthday of the Infanta. Go ahead and pick this book up and start reading.