Free Downloads The Picture Of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an 1891 philosophical novel by Irish writer and playwright Oscar Wilde. First published as a serial story in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, the editors feared the story was indecent, and without Wilde's knowledge, deleted five hundred words before publication. Despite that censorship, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, some of whom said that Oscar Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding the public morality. In response, Wilde aggressively defended his novel and art in correspondence with the British press. Wilde revised and expanded the magazine edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) for publication as a novel; the book edition (1891) featured an aphoristic preface — an apologia about the art of the novel and the reader. The content, style, and presentation of the preface made it famous in its own literary right, as social and cultural criticism. In April 1891, the editorial house Ward, Lock and Company published the revised version of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Paperback: 140 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 23, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1515190994
ISBN-13: 978-1515190998
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,164 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #5,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #23 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Criticism & Theory #77 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature & Fiction > Fiction > Gay #250 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics
Oscar Wilde is one hell of an elegant writer. He focuses a lot on beauty in his writing, and it really shows. The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a narcissistic man, only to fall in love with a a beautiful painting done of himself. He says aloud that he wishes he could stay young and beautiful, like in his portrait, and lo and behold, his wish comes true. He never grows old, but the man in his portrait (himself) does instead. He hides the portrait in the attic (his dirty secret), because he doesn't want anyone to see him growing old in the picture, and the story pretty much goes from there. This book is poetic in its writing, has a lot of witty commentary, and is a must for Wilde fans. All in all, I gave this story 4 out of 5 stars, only because I enjoyed his play much better... The Importance of Being Earnest. Regardless, if not for the plot, read it for the experience in exceptional writing.
A dark story, narrated excellantly with changing voices for ths different characters. A painter friend convinces the extremely handsome, Dorian, to pose for him. The painting turns out so well Dorian wants to keep it. He makes a wish that he would always be so handsome and only the painting show his aging and scars of life. His wish is granted and you should follow the outcome of his life.
Oscar Wilde is phenomenal at taking your mind and all its components, rearranging them and laying them back out in an entirely different order. There's a lot to be learned from Dorian Gray, I promise he's well worth your time.
I enjoyed this public domain book very much in that the story line held my interest and was full of interesting observations of human nature which are as relevant now as they must have been when the book was published.
Oscar Wilde's plays have always been fascinating to me with their clever repartee and social commentary. This classic means more to me now than when I read it in High School. Beautiful language and Wilde's usual subtle sneering comments on society of his time.
This book is full of memorable lines. The conversations exchanged are witty and poignant. Definitely worth a read. A good intro into Wilde.I feel it is relevant to young readers struggling to define themselves in a morally ambiguous world. The ideas are timeless and apply especially in today's time, where I feel the average young adult confronts these issues; whereas in Wilde's time, it was likely only relevant to the wealthy.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this book. I wanted to read this book so I can say I read at least one 'classic' as an adult. While I can at least say that, I found myself bored and my attention span drifting with the extended prose.Although the book is less than 300 pages, it took me a while to complete it, perhaps due to some archaic vocabulary and extensive prose (which can bore me). That said, the novel was edited well, leaving out unnecessary details in a way that the reader could imagine what happened in the character's life without it being actually being written.Wilde's writing is truly exquisite, and it's a shame he only wrote the one novel. While reading, I could fully envision the society and the people living in it (to the point of having strong feelings about some!).Trust me, I really wanted to LOVE this book. And while I can appreciate this novel as a classic, I only liked it. The story was certainly quite creative and risque (for the time), which I enjoyed. I just wish it were a bit more amped-up.In summary, if you want to read something more fast-paced, I wouldn't recommend this book. If you are a more "refined" reader, I think you have a better chance of truly enjoying it. Also, if you never had to read this in school, itââ¬â¢s worth reading it now.
This proves again that old themes can make modern readers contemplate foibles of humanity. This is not a read-it-and-forget-it novel.
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