8 h 56 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 219 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 219 pagesAbout this book
What if your face stays innocent while a hidden portrait bears the marks of every cruel choice?
In late Victorian London, Basil Hallward paints a portrait of Dorian Gray, a young man of remarkable beauty. Lord Henry Wotton fills Dorian's mind with talk of pleasure and fading youth. Dorian wishes to remain young forever, leaving the painting to age instead. His wish turns beauty into a dangerous shelter.
As Dorian pursues pleasure, his face reveals nothing, but the portrait begins to change. Basil hopes to keep him good, while Lord Henry delights in shaping his views. When Dorian falls for the actress Sibyl Vane, love enters a life increasingly ruled by appearances. Oscar Wilde brings sharp wit to a dark question: what restrains us when wrongdoing leaves no visible trace?
What you’ll discover
- A portrait with secrets Watch a painted likeness carry the guilt its beautiful subject refuses to show.
- The lure of influence Hear Lord Henry turn common sense upside down with dazzling, unsettling talk.
- Beauty against conscience Explore how the pursuit of pleasure puts friendship, love, and moral judgment under pressure.
- Wit beneath the darkness Enter a world where drawing room comedy sits beside the dread of the supernatural.
- Art and dangerous devotion Meet Basil Hallward, whose admiration for Dorian's beauty comes with hopes for his goodness.
Is it for you?
This summary suits anyone who likes Gothic tales, sharp dialogue, or questions about art and conscience, and readers who want to know the book before they open it. It may suit less those who want fast action over talk and atmosphere.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A painter finds his perfect subject
- Lord Henry plants a dangerous wish
- The portrait begins to change
- Pleasure takes the place of conscience
- What the story is really about
- How Wilde tells it
Who’s who
- Dorian GrayA young man of remarkable beauty and innocence who wishes to stay young forever and is drawn into a life of pleasure.
- Basil HallwardA painter who adores Dorian's beauty, paints his portrait, and hopes to keep his friend good.
- Lord Henry WottonA witty aristocrat who talks lightly about pleasure and youth and takes delight in shaping Dorian's views.
- Sibyl VaneA young actress in a small London theatre who plays Shakespeare's heroines and falls deeply in love with Dorian.
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar Wilde· 1890
A man stays young while his portrait records his sins.
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Language: Français
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A painter finds his perfect subject
The novel opens in the studio of Basil Hallward, a painter whose house is full of the scent of roses and lilac. His friend Lord Henry Wotton lies on a divan, smoking and watching Basil work on a tall portrait of a young man. The young man is Dorian Gray, and Basil admits that meeting him changed his art.
Basil explains that Dorian's face and manner gave him a new way of seeing. He says he has put too much of himself into the portrait, and for that reason he does not want to show it in public. This is an early sign that the painting is not just a likeness. It holds the painter's feeling, and that feeling will matter later.
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The author
Oscar Wilde
1854–1900 · Irish playwright and poet
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and novelist born in Dublin. He lived in London and later in France, where he died in Paris. He published The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890. His play The Importance of Being Earnest was first performed in 1895.
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What is The Picture of Dorian Gray about?
It tells of a handsome young man in Victorian London who wishes that his portrait would age instead of him. The wish is granted, and the story follows what he does once his face no longer shows his actions.
Who is Lord Henry in The Picture of Dorian Gray?
Lord Henry Wotton is a witty aristocrat and friend of the painter Basil Hallward. He speaks in clever sayings about youth and pleasure, and his ideas strongly influence Dorian's choices.
When was The Picture of Dorian Gray written?
It first appeared in a magazine in 1890. Wilde expanded it and added a preface for the book edition in 1891. It is a work of fiction, set in his own time.
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