The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

In Brief

A handsome but selfish young man sits for a portrait painter. Seeing the result, he makes an impulsive wish: that age and corruption should be visited on the picture instead of his own face. Apparently freed from the consequences of his actions, the perennially beautiful Dorian Gray embarks on a life of destructive vice that ultimately leads to his own downfall.

Why you should read it

Oscar Wilde's only novel combines art, aestheticism, moral corruption, psychological complexity and even the supernatural. Exciting and gripping... if only all novels were as beautifully written as this!