The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Gothic Chronicles Collection)
About this eBook
Harper Muse Classics: The Gothic Chronicles Collection presents The Picture of Dorian Gray:
- Presents Oscar Wilde's unsettling Gothic tale of a man who sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth but who also pays for its tragic ramifications; its 1890 publication helped secure Wilde's place in literature's pantheon of great writers
- Explores such themes as the narcissistic worship of youth and beauty, the corrupting power of influence, the superficiality of society, and the true purpose of art and artistic expression
- Is ideal for Oscar Wilde fans, lovers of literary fiction and classic literature, and people who love both the book and the cinematic adaptations it inspired
Whether you're buying this as a gift or as a self-purchase, this remarkable edition features:
- Beautiful foil-accented hardcover
- Distinctive decorative interior pages featuring pull quotes distributed throughout
- Part of a 4-volume horror collection including Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dante's Inferno, and a volume of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known short stories
When renowned artist Basil Hallward meets the wealthy Dorian Gray, he is immediately drawn to Dorian's countenance. Hallward becomes fitfully obsessed with capturing Dorian’s remarkable beauty, confessing as much to his friend Lord Henry Wotton. Wotton counters, arguing that Hallward's portrait is an unparalleled masterpiece. After his final sitting, in an impulsive fit of despair over losing his vitality to the ravages of time, Dorian pledges his soul, pleading that his portrait age and fade in exchange for Dorian's eternal youth. What follows is an unsettling descent into decadence, sensualism, murderous secrecy, and tragedy as the portrait supernaturally begins to reflect Dorian's spiritual and moral deterioration while his outward physical appearance remains unchanged.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is part of a four-volume collection that includes Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dante's Inferno, and a volume of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known short stories.
About the author
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet and playwright known for his biting satire and sharp-edged wit. His comic plays including A Woman of No Importance, Lady Windermere’s Fan, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest brought him widespread fame. The Picture of Dorian Gray, criticized as overly provocative and immoral in Victorian England at the time, was Wilde’s only novel. Wilde died in poverty and obscurity in Paris after having endured a cruel two-year prison sentence for violating Britain’s Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885. He was pardoned in 2017.
