Select A Store
Select Store
My Store:
Select A Store
Availability:
$3.99
Used
-
Trade Paperback
-
9781853260155
Overview
Overview
With an Introduction and Notes by John M.L. Drew, University of Buckingham.
Wilde's only novel, first published in 1890, is a brilliantly designed puzzle, intended to tease conventional minds with its exploration of the myriad interrelationships between art, life, and consequence. From its provocative Preface, challenging the reader to believe in 'art for art's sake', to its sensational conclusion, the story self-consciously experiments with the notion of sin as an element of design.
Yet Wilde himself underestimated the consequences of his experiment, and its capacity to outrage the Victorian establishment. Its words returned to haunt him in his court appearances in 1895, and he later recalled the 'note of doom' which runs like 'a purple thread' through its carefully crafted prose.
- Format: TradePaperback
- Author: Wilde, Oscar
- ISBN: 9781853260155
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 7.70 x 0.50
- Number Of Pages: 224
- Publication Year: 1992
Customer Reviews
Rating Snapshot
5 ★
100%
4 ★
0%
3 ★
0%
2 ★
0%
1 ★
0%
1 Ratings
0
0% Would Recommend
0 Recommendations
Review Images
Sort by:
-
19th Century tale of narcissim and society
John A. - 8 years 6 months agoThe Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's only 19th Century novel, is a landmark philosophical novel that has many lessons to teach us in 21st century America. The novel is a new spin on the Faust tale, in which Dorian Gray makes a wish that he would not age while the portrait created by his artist friend contains all the debauchery of his wild, aesthetic lifestyle. As a published author with several novels under my belt, I found many important writing lessons within this tale. I was also moved by the amazing abilities of Wilde and how the story simultaneously is an excellent yarn but also speaks truth about his own contemporary society. This is a true masterwork of literature, and a novel this HPB bookseller would recommend to anyone looking for a story that is amazing on multiple levels.
HPB Staff Review