The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilde's only novel is set in fashionable London society. Dorian Gray is a strikingly handsome young man whose portrait is painted by the artist Basil Hallward. Under the influence of the witty and cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian becomes obsessed with youth and pleasure, and wishes that the painting might bear the marks of age in his place. What follows is a dark gothic tale about vanity, influence and the cost of living only for sensation. Wilde's polished style and famous epigrams made the book controversial on publication, and it remains a classic about art, beauty and conscience.