The picture of Dorian Gray

One of the most intriguing and controversial novels of the 19th century, Oscar Wilde's “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” This novel is an interesting combination of Gothic horror, philosophical exploration, and social commentary. In the heart of Victorian London's glittering society lives the strikingly handsome and endlessly charming Dorian Gray, a man whose flawless beauty receives admiration and envy in equal measure. When his friend, the talented artist Basil Hallward, paints his portrait, Dorian is entranced by his own perfection, yet tormented by the idea that time will eventually rob him of his greatest asset: his youth. Influenced by the hedonistic philosophies of the witty yet cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian speaks a wish both irresistible and dangerous: that he remain forever young, while the portrait ages in his place. Soon, Dorian discovers the horrifying truth: his reckless indulgences, hidden vices, and darkest sins no longer touch his youthful face but instead manifest upon the canvas, corrupting it into a grotesque image of his decaying soul.