The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Recommended By

Book Reviews

This book was on Sam Altman's bookshelf.

Book Synopsis

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde is a classic novel that delves into the themes of morality, art, and the corrupting influence of society.

The story revolves around the handsome and wealthy Dorian Gray, who becomes enthralled by his own portrait painted by the talented artist, Basil Hallward. Faced with the fear of aging and losing his beauty, Dorian makes a pact that allows his portrait to age and reflect the consequences of his actions instead.

As Dorian indulges in a hedonistic and immoral lifestyle, his portrait begins to transform, revealing the hideous effects of his debauchery. Meanwhile, his youthful appearance remains untouched, causing him to lead a double life.

Throughout the novel, Wilde explores the conflicting desires for eternal youth and the pursuit of pleasure. Dorian's transformation from innocent youth to immoral hedonist highlights the destructive nature of vanity and selfishness.

As the tale progresses, Dorian's actions lead to the suffering and downfall of those around him, including Basil and his love interest, the actress Sibyl Vane. The portrait becomes a disturbing reflection of Dorian's soul, representing the consequences of his immoral choices.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a thought-provoking and elegant literary work that presents a captivating exploration of the human condition, shedding light on the delicate balance between moral responsibility and the pursuit of personal desires.

Explore More Books

See All
A History of Western Technology
Taxes Have Consequences
The Box
The Healing Journey
The Oxford History of Britain
The River of Doubt
Road to Wigan Pier
The Opium of the Intellectuals
Fewer
Academically Adrift
Raising Girls
Sourdough Culture
The Immateriality of the Material
My Forty Years with Ford
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Visual Explanations
The Uterus Is a Feature, Not a Bug
More Than You Know
Prisoners of Geography
Netflixed
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
The Big Score
Trading Bases
Living With A SEAL
Trauma
Walden
Primed to Perform
Don't Shoot the Dog!
Flu
Getting to Maybe
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
The Poems of Dylan Thomas
The Farming Ladder
Harvesting the Biosphere
Red Notice
Confessions of a Philosopher
The 80/20 Principle
Leapfrog
How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars
The Plot Against the President
Check Your Financial Privilege
Knowledge and Decisions
Hagakure
City of the Century
An Apology for the Builder
Army Of None
Solution Selling
Andrew Carnegie
Essentialism
The Iliad
The Great Crash of 1929
Exit Interview
The Seventh Sense
First a Dream
The Fatal Conceit
The Way of Kings
True Enough
The Creative Curve
Rework
Alexander Hamilton
Portfolios of the Poor
The City In History
The House of Rothschild
Seeing Like a State
Paradigms Of A.I. Programming
Alpha Girls
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Voltaire
Well
Liberty Under Seige
I Seem To Be A Verb
The Hand
Race Matters
Empires of Light
Ask The Dust
The Eden Project
The Things They Carried
The Myth of the Rational Voter
Moby Dick
On Writing
The Great Challenge
Daring Greatly
The German Generals Talk
I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Hansel and Gretel
Expert Political Judgement
Bossypants
The Sleepwalkers
Lean In
Fooled By Randomness
New Power
Whole Earth Discipline
Ham on Rye
Brave New Words
Hoover Dam
Out of Many, One
Travels with Charley
Cold Calling Techniques
Hamlet
The Black Jacobins
The Choice