Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
I want to read the book!
All characters reduced
The Picture of Dorian Gray - cover

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde, Redhouse

Publisher: Redhouse

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

Wilde's only novel, first published in 1890, is a brilliantly designed puzzle, intended to tease conventional minds with its exploration of the myriad interrelationships between art, life and consequence. From its provocative Preface, challenging the reader to belief in 'art for art's sake', to its sensational conclusion, the story self-consciously experiments with the notion of sin as an element of design. Yet Wilde himself underestimated the consequences of his experiment, and its capacity to outrage the Victorian establishment. Its words returned to haunt him in his court appearances in 1895, and he later recalled the 'note of doom' which runs like 'a purple thread' through its carefully crafted prose.

A wonderful book! —W. B. Yeats
While in one sense "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is as transparent as a medieval allegory and its structure as workmanlike as that of Marlowe's "Dr. Faustus"… in another sense it remains a puzzle: knotted, convoluted, brilliantly enigmatic. —Joyce Carol Oates
A story strange in conception, strong in interest, and fitted with a tragic and ghastly climax… A remarkable book. —Julian Hawthorne
Mr. Wilde's work may fairly claim to go with that of Edgar Poe. —Walter Pater
Available since: 03/12/2021.

Other books that might interest you

  • Short Poetry Collection 017 - cover

    Short Poetry Collection 017

    Various

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Librivox's Short Poetry Collection 017: a collection of 20 public-domain poems.
    Show book
  • The Female Poet Volume 4 - cover

    The Female Poet Volume 4

    Katherine Mansfield, Mary Darby...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    The gentler sex or the deadlier of the species.  Between these two definitions of the female gender lies a collection of some of the most beautiful verse ever written.  For much of history women have been seen rather than heard.  In this volume poets of great depth and feeling express themselves on a range of topics and in ways that perhaps only a woman can. Here in Volume 4 we bring you works from Katherine Mansfield to Mary Darby Robinson by way of Alice Meynell, Hannah More, Edith Nesbit, Katherine Phillips. Our readers include Ghizela Rowe and Patricia Rodriguez.
    Show book
  • Man of the House - A Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming the Man of the House After His Grandfather’s Death - cover

    Man of the House - A Young Boy’s...

    Short Story Press, Alex Eaker

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    After his mother goes deaf, a young boy must navigate through the many difficulties of his childhood. The boy witnesses his Mom deal with loss, his father becoming distant, his older brother living a life of his own. The protagonist feels alone, powerless, voiceless. At the same time, the boy tries to impress the girl of his dreams at school, leading him into a troublesome situation. He must make choices which could affect him for the rest of his life. Through it all, he must figure out how to endure and grow, how to become the man of the house. 
• See how the protagonist deals with the struggling relationship between his mother and father. 
• How to deal with the struggles of puberty and coming of age. 
• Impressing your crush at school and the holes this can trap you in. 
• Navigating through a house filled with tension while also trying to take control. 
• Understand what it’s like to live with someone who has experienced recent trauma. 
• Read about the importance of a mother-son relationship and how the bond between parent and child can grow. 
The story is fictional, but tells true experiences of the author. It is a personal story that speaks to what growing up is really like for many young boys, and how they look to their parents or siblings for guidance. This story tells what can go wrong when that guidance is not there, but also the powerful bond between mother and son. 
About the Writer 
Alex Eaker grew up in the cold suburbs of Connecticut. At five years old, his parents got a divorce, putting Alex on an early path towards writing. Ever since, Alex has written about his experience as a son and younger brother, operating between his mother and fathers’ homes while also enduring the universal struggles of adolescence. His stories serve to share his experience, an experience not uncommon in today’s world. 
Short Story Press publishes short stories written by everyday writers.
    Show book
  • THREE (Multiplay Drama) - cover

    THREE (Multiplay Drama)

    Sophie Ellerby

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    A funny, dark and thrilling play about family connections and the fallout from violence.
Three sisters fight to keep track of reality as their whole world is shot to pieces.
Dad's getting released from prison tomorrow and the air smells like a proper British summer. Tia's turned sixteen, smashing her GCSEs and gearing up for prom. Rochelle treats her little sister to a new dress from Westfield that even Jaz says she looks beautiful in – and Jaz wouldn't lie.
Music blares in the backyard and the sisters smile together for the first time in a while. This could be the best summer they've ever had…
THREE was first performed at the Arcola Theatre, London, in a production by National Youth Theatre's Playing Up Company.
Multiplay Drama is an exciting new series of large-cast plays, specifically written to be performed by and appeal to older teenagers and young adults.
    Show book
  • In the Autumn Grass - cover

    In the Autumn Grass

    Hamlin Garland

    • 1
    • 0
    • 0 
    LibriVox volunteers take us out on the prairie among the wind and blue stem with readings of In the Autumn Grass by Hamlin Garland.  This is the fortnightly poem for November 8, 2015.
    Show book
  • Opened Doors - cover

    Opened Doors

    Artie Bryant

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0 
    Emotions seal closed doors, but it's the heart that pries them open. Once we step inside, not only do we find ourselves, we discover our purpose.In Opened Doors, author Artie Bryant passionately delves into love, pain and the whirlwind of emotions in between through a profound collection of poetry, intricately penned to propel readers into the author's transparent, visual feast of confessions. As he therapeutically unveils the anxiety hidden beneath the darkness of depression, just when hope seems like a fleeting dream...healing takes place. Not just for readers, but the smooth flow and rhythmic musings deliver the author himself from his painful past.  Not only will readers see themselves in the verses, they'll be inspired to re-evaluate their worth.Between the pages of Opened Doors masterfully lies an unfiltered plethora of candid testimonies that move readers from the pained contentment of despair, to the inspiring revelation that they are indeed worthy of happiness that is promised to all of us. A poem is but a few words, but the effect of their power remains for generations. Open the door, and take the first step to creative healing.
    Show book