The Picture of Dorian Gray (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

by Wilde, Oscar; Toledo, Ruben

• ISBN13: 9780143106142
• ISBN10: 0143106147
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-11-30
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

The Picture of Dorian Gray was a succes de scandale. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895. Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray makes a Faustian bargain to sell his soul in exchange for eternal youth and beauty. Under the influence of Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, where he is able to indulge his desires while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only Dorian's picture bears the traces of his decadence. A knowing account of a secret life and an analysis of the darker side of late Victorian society. The Picture of Dorian Gray offers a disturbing portrait of an individual coming face to face with the reality of his soul.

Author Biography

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was educated at Trinity and Oxford. He became an immensely influential writer, particularly with his plays. The Picture of Dorian Gray was his only novel.

Ruben Toldeo is a painter, illustrator, and sculptor. He is best known for his fashion illustrations, which have appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. Toledo frequently collaborates with his wife, fashion designer Isabel Toldeo. He lives in New York City.