The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel written by Oscar Wilde and published in 1890. It first appeared as a novel in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine; Wilde then revised and expanded it for the 1891 book edition.
The painter Basil Hallward becomes fascinated by the beauty of a young man named Dorian Gray and paints his portrait. Dorian then meets Basil’s friend Lord Henry and is captivated by his hedonistic view that beauty and sensual experience are life’s highest values. Realizing that his beauty will fade, Dorian wishes that the portrait would age while he remains young.
While Dorian retains his youthful appearance, the figure in the portrait ages and changes. As he pursues pleasure without regard for its cost, the painting records the effects of his cruelty, corruption, and passing years.
The book is considered a classic of Gothic and philosophical fiction. Although it caused controversy when first published, it is now widely recognized as a modern classic.
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Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading The Picture of Dorian Gray in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 188
- Reading time
- 6 hours 39 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 1890
- Language
- English
- Downloads
- 12,023
136 years later, still timely
Why Read The Picture of Dorian Gray in 2026?
A portrait keeps the score while a city applauds wit. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" reads like a salon of epigrams wrapped around a caution about self-fashioning. The pleasures are real and the sentences glitter; the question is what beauty asks in return and who pays the bill.
Today's connection
Image-making has never been cheaper or more tempting. Wilde shows how charm, taste, and talk can mask costs to others and to oneself. The novel’s aphorisms cut because they are accurate and unsermonizing. Read for delight first—and for the ethical aftertaste.
Epigrams that think
Sparkling lines double as knives. They entertain and diagnose at once.
Art and accountability
Aesthetic ideals meet moral claims. The tension stays productive, not preachy.
City of masks
Salons, studios, and night streets stage identity. Performance becomes habit.
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About the author
Oscar Wilde
Paradox with poise; style used as ethics, defense, and delight in public life.
If this one stays with you…
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From The Picture of Dorian Gray
I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.
You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.
You know how a voice can stir one. Your voice and the voice of Sibyl Vane are two things that I shall never forget. When I close my eyes, I hear them, and each of them says something different. I don’t know which to follow.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.