The Picture of Dorian Gray

'To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.' When the painter Basil Hallward finishes his masterpiece, a portrait of the dazzling young Dorian Gray, he fears he has poured too much of his own soul into the canvas. But it is Dorian himself who makes the fatal wish: that the portrait might age in his place, while he remains forever young and beautiful. Under the influence of the corrupting Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian gives himself to a life without limits. Hearts break. Reputations fall. A man is murdered. Through it all, his face remains untouched—but upstairs, behind a locked door, the portrait is keeping count. This edition restores Oscar Wilde's uncensored 1890 original, together with the additional chapters he wrote for the expanded 1891 book. Read side by side, they reveal the sharpest, strangest, and most authentic version of the novel Wilde wrote. About the Author Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright celebrated for his wit, aestheticism, and sharp social satire. A leading figure of the late Victorian era, he explored themes of art, morality, identity, and hypocrisy, often exposing the contradictions of polite society through humour and irony. His most renowned works include the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) and plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), which remain classics of English literature. Distinguished by elegant language, paradox, and comedic brilliance, Wilde’s writing blends entertainment with critique, leaving a lasting influence on modern drama and literary style.